III 


GIFT    OF 

JANE 


NOTES 


OX  THE 


War  in  the  South ; 

WITH 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 


OF  THE   LIVES  OF 

MONTGOMERY,  JACKSON, 

SEV1ER, 

The  late  Gov.  Claiborne, 

AND  OTHERS. 

By  Nathaniel  Herbert  Claiborne, 

OF  FRANKLIN  COUNTY,  VA. 

A  Member  of  the  Executive  of  Virginia  during  the  late  Wai'* 

RICHMOND  : 

PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  jR 


1819. 


355 


COPT -RIGHT  SECURED. 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  NOTES  were  written  while  the  war 
was  going  on.  They  are  now  published  without  al 
teration.  Had  they  been  written  after  the  war,  the 
stile  and  manner  of  the  remarks  would  have  been 
different :  as  they  are,  they  present  the  feelings  of 
the  day  to  the  reader ;  and  in  that  view,  perhaps,  are 
valuable.  Some  few  of  the  numbers  were  published 
while  the  war  continued;  and  were  erroneously  as 
cribed,  in  the  upland  country,  to  a  writer  with  whom 
the  author  would  blush  to  be  compared  ;  for  he  feels 
his  inferiority :  but  such  was  then  the  fact,  in  the 
neighbourhood  in  which  the  author  now  resides. 

The  Life  of  WILLIAM  C.  C.  CLAIBORNE  has  been 
lately  added ;  and  is  now  published  at  the  request  of 
many  of  that  gentleman's  political  friends. 

The  stile  of  this  book  will  not  stand  the  knife  of 
criticism  ;  but  the  feelings  under  the  influence  of 
which  it  was  produced,  are  above  the  reach  even  ef 
malice. 


335869 


NOTES  ON  THE 

War  in  the  South,  <§jc 


CHAPTER  I. 


JL  HE  days  of  delusion  have  passed  away  :  the  objects 
of  Great  Britain  arc  no  longer  veiled  by  shadows, 
clouds,  and  darkness  :  they  are  as  plain  to  the  under 
standing;  as  a  ray  of  light  to  the  human  eye.  The 
schemes*  of  ambition  and  conquest  in  which  the  court 
of  St.  James  indulges,  are  now  unmasked  :  and  the 
alternative  with  the  American  people,  is,  by  Bravery 
and  perseverance,  to  shew  the  world,  they  deserve 
the  high  rank  bequeathed  them  by  their  fathers ;  or, 
by  servility  and  meanness,  to  sink  down,  the  scorn 
and  contempt  of  all  mankind.  The  British  ministers 
frequently  declared  that  Bonaparte  was  the  only  bar 
to  a  general  peace  ;  and  some  of  our  citizens  put  con 
fidence  in  this  delusory  declaration.  No  sooner  was 
it  announced  in  America,  that  by  dint  of  the  sword, 
the  divine  right  of  kings  to  power  was  established  in 
France,  and  the  election  of  Bonaparte  by  the  people 
set  aside,  than  the  miserable  tribe  of  an^lo-jacobites 
cried  there  Is  peace  from  this  day  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain.  How*  woefully  have  they 
been  disappointed  !  Disengaged  from  the  Europran 
contest,  it  is  evident,  they  indulge  in  plans  of  ambi 
tion  and  conquest  as  extensive  as  were  ever  yet 

A 


«»        :NOTES  ON  Tire  >VAH  ix  TIIR  SOUTH. 

ascribed  to  the  hero  of  Maringo :  and  to  accomplish 
them,  they  resort  to  means  both  perfidious  and  cruel. 
They  attempt  to  lull  us  into  a  state  of  false  security, 
by  avowing  a  disposition  for  peace,  and  inviting  ne- 
gociations  ;  while  they  are  sending  to  our  shores  Beets 
and  armies,  instructed  to  Jay  waste  every  part  of  the 
country  into  which  they  may  be  able  to  penetrate. 
In  conformity  with  those  instructions,  the  notorious 
Cockburn  having  succeeded  in  gaining  possession  of 
the  City  of  Washington,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of 
August  lasf,  destroyed  all  the  public  buildings  and  a 
printing  office,  at  which  was  recorded  from  time  to' 
time  the  achievements  of  this  hero.  No  event  could 
have  roused  the  people  more  effectually  than  the  des 
truction  of  our  infant  Rome.  Every  genuine  American 
iviil  now  feel,  and  not  stoop  to  the  meanness  of  rea 
soning.  Invoking  the  assistance  of  God,  the  American 
people  will  rush  like  a  mountain  torrent  on  the  enemy, 
wherever  he  shall  shew  himself:  and  I  augur  that  hta 
triumph  will  be  of  short  duration.  Our  efforts  must  be 
redoubled  to  cripple  him  in  Canada,  the  place  where 
he  is  most  vulnerable.  We  must  make  every  neces- 
gary  sacrifice,  for  offensive,  as  well  as  defensive  war. 
Annies,  yes,  powerful  armies,  must  be  raised  ;  taxes 
must  be  imposed,  and  loans  effected.  Our  population 
will  enable  us  to  raise  one  hundred  thousand  m«n.  Our 
country  abounds  with  the  necessaries  of ;  life.  Such 
an  army  as  is  here  recommended  would  have  no  effect 
on  our  agriculture.  If  taxes  are  laid,  loans  may  easily 
be  effected:  but  above  all,  if  the  banks  are  pYoperly 
protected,  money  from  them  may  be  obtained,  until 
the  taxes  are  collected,  sufficient  to  fortify  the  sea 
ports,  maintain  the  army,  and  enlarge  the  stock  of 
arms  and  ammunition;  and  the  troops  being  stationed 
in  each  state,  and  along  the  lines  of  Canada,  would 
give  such  circulation  of  money,  as  to  enable  the 
people  to  pay  the  necessary  taxes)  with  e;»se.  A  little 
energy  only  is  necessary :  public  credit  will  be  re- 


NOTES  ON  THE  1VAK  IX  THE  SOUTH. 

vircd,  the  ranks  of  the  army  filled  and  organized. 
The  lemonade  system  will  do  no  longer.  If  arms 
cunnot  be  had  tVom  abroad,  we  can  make  them  at 
home.  We  have  lead  in  abundance;  iron  all  over 
the  back  country ;  the  materials  of  gunpowder  every 
\vhere:  our  artisans  equal  to  any  in  the  world.  The 
American  musket  is  equal,  if  not  superior,  10  the 
boasted  tower  gun,  in  the  certainty  and  'fore*;  with 
which  it  directs  the  ball :  our  cannon  shoot  nearly 
with  the  accuracy  of  the  rifle  :  our  people  are  habitu 
ated  to  the  use  of  the  gun  from  their  infancy,  and  ride 
with  a  dexterity  and  grace  to  which  Europeans 
kave  no  claim.  Hence  our  riflemen  and  cavalry  are 
the  best  in  the  world.  The  national  amusements,  the 
pursuits  of  agriculture,  make  us  healthy  and  strong  ; 
the  education  we  receive  at  our  schools,  implants  m 
our  bosoms  a  high  sense  of  honor,  and  makes  us  fit 
depositories  of  that  liberty  our  fathers  bought  with 
treasure  and  blood.  The  bone  and  muscle  of  the 
nation  lies  in  the  country ;  and  that  mercantile 
spirit  which  worships  money,  and  amalgamates  honor 
and  baseness,  patriotiMn  and  cowardice,  has  raised  its 
detestable  front  no  where  but  among  an  insignificant 
few  in  the  town  of  Alexandria.  But  to  return  from 
this  digression,  what  effect  will  the  momentary  occu 
pation  of  the  capital  have  on  the  nation  ?  None. 
That  is  to  say,  it  will  not  further  the  views  of  the 
enemy  at  all.  When  compared  to  many  of  our  towns, 
Philadelphia,  New-York,  Richmond  and  Boston,  and 
others,  it  is  but  a  village.  Properly  understood,  he  has 
paid  dear  for  the  advantage  he  has  gained.  Commo 
dore  BAHNEY  contended  nobly  with  him.  Had  the 
commodore  and  his  gallant  seamen  been  properly 
seconded,  the  enemy  wouldS  never  have  gained  the 
city.  Cockburn  appeared  to  have  been  sensible  uf 
the  danger  that  awaited  him,  and  he  retreated  from 
Washington  the  day  after  he  entered  it.  The  severity 
•with  which  he  was  handled  by  the  gallant  Barney  and 


8     NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

his  marines  the  day  he  entered  Washington,  may 
well  be  interred,  from  the  circumstance  that  Cock- 
burn,  in  his  iJiglit,  abandoned  ninety -six  of  his  wound - 
ed,  and  Itft  near  two  hundred  of  his  dead  unburied. 
Had  such  an  event,  as  the  momentary  occupation  of 
Washington,  in  the  days  of  the  revolutionary  war, 
prod M-ed  despondency  in  a  single  individual,  our 
gal!aut  sires  would  have  smiled  at  his  weakness. 
Baring  the  : evolution,  the  enemy  in  succession  occu 
pied  New-York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Richmond, 
Charleston  and  Savannah ;  with  the  least  of  which 
places  Washington  cannot  be  compared  in  wealth 
and  population :  and  what  effect  did  the  occupation- 
of  these  places  have  on  our  fathers  ?  None.  It  only 
served  to  stimulate  them  to  nobler  efforts  in  the 
great  cause  of  independence;  but  it  went  no  further 
towards  the  conquest  of  America,  than  the  occupation 
of  a  private  gentleman's  farm.  It  produced  then,  as 
it  will  do  now,  additional  irritation.  The- people  are 
roused ;  they  have  talked  of  peace,  and  sought  to 
betray  UB  with  a  kiss.  Nothing  is  now  heard  but 
cries  of  vengeance.  Military  parade  every  where 
meets  the  eye.  The  children  are  learning  the  manual 
of  a  soldier.  While  penning  these  notes,  I  was  inter 
rupted  by  some  patriotic  boys,  asking  my  influence, 
as  a  member  of  tne  Virginia  executive,  to  arm  them, 
that  they  might  participate  in  the  defence  of  their 
country.  I  need  hardly  tell  the  reader  the  pleasure 
it  gave  me,  to  see  this  honorable  spirit,  in  the  rising 
generation.  These  youth,  said  I  to  myself,  are  fired 
by  the  pride  of  valor,  and  the  love  of  country ;  they 
will  illustrate  their  birth,  and  do  honor  to  their  pro 
genitors.  America  is  safe;  for  we  know  the  mischief 
intended  us.  Our  independence  shall  not  be  des 
troyed:  it  is  built  on  a  rock  firmer  than  adamant  t. 
the  billow*  of  British  hostility  cannot  shake  it,  -. 


OM  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER 


f  THE  views  taken  of  our  political  situation  in  the 
antecedent  number  of  the  CRISIS  are  now  discovered 
to  be  almost  universally  considered  as  the  only  just 
and  true  ones.j  For  myself,  1  only  claim  the  "merit 
of  having  early  and  publicly  stated,  that,  properly 
considered,  the  enemy  had  paid  dear  for  his  incursion 
into  Washington;  that  his  loss,  amounting  to  a  tenth 
of  his  army  in  killed,  wounded  and  deserted,  made 
us  a  most  abundant  compensation  for  his  occupation 
of  the  capitol  for  a  mere  moment  of  time.  In  fact, 
when  I  first  heard  of  the  incursion  of  the  enemy  into 
Washington,  knowing  as  I  did,  it  was  an  incon 
siderable  place,  without  any  commercial  importance... 
I  wai  really  surprised  at  the  despondency  which,  for 
a  short  time,  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of  the 
public  mind.  I  had  frequently  heard,  that  the  occu 
pation  of  Boston,  New-York  and  Philadelphia,  by  the 
euemyv  in  the  time  of  the  revolutionary  war,  had 
produced  no  effect,,  but  to  stimulate  our  gallant  fathers 
to  additional  exertion  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  a 
stupid  king,  "the  curse  of  hi*  own  country  and  el 
the  world." 

Since  the  publication  of  the  first  number  of  the 
CRISIS,  I  have  learnt  that  our  forefathers  considered  ii 
more  prudent  in  General  Washington,  to  retreat  front 
Philadelphia,  and  abandon  that  important  city  for  a 
short  time  to  the  occupation  of  the  enemy,  than  to  risk 
the  safety  of  his  army  by  fortifying  the  place  and  at 
tempting  to  hold  it.  *A  Venerable  officer,  who  contri 
buted  largely  to  the  liberation  of  our  beloved  America 
•&em  the  galling  yoke  wf  Britain,  aaci  >yhos£U  live?  ia 


10    KOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH, 

Montgomery  county,  Virginia,  revered  by  all  good 
men,  has  frequently  declared,  that  at  the  time  Gene 
ral  Washington  evacuated  Philadelphia,  he  blamed 
hi.n ;  but  the  old  soldier  now  invariably  adds,  "I  wad 
mistaken  ;  a  little  reflection  has  taught  me,  that  the 
defences  were  not  such  as  to  enable  the  Americans 
to  retain  it ;  and  I  shall  always  regret,  that  I  once 
thought  and  perhaps  said  hard  things  of  the  greatest 
>and  best  of  men.  General  Washington  saw  matters 
rightly,  and  in  evacuating  Philadelphia,  he  saved  the 
army  and  perhaps  his  country."  And  what  effect 
did  the  occupation  of  Philadelphia  by  the  enemy  in 
the  days  of  the  revolution  have  on  our  brave  sires?  It 
reused  them  to  men*  formidable  exertion,  and  served 
to  fix  our  independence  on  a  basig  too  strong  to 
be  overturned. 

The  incursion  into  Washington,  has  already  had  the 
same  effect.  To  have  succeeded  partially,  by  a  course 
of  policy  to  have  been  expected  only  from  cowardly 
barbarism,  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  They  have 
talked  of  peace,  and  invited  negociations  to  make  it; 
and  at  the  same  time  they  have  sent  their  navy  to  our 
coast,  and  their  veterans  to  invade  and  crush  us; 
and  they  have  selected  for  their  commanders,  men 
.•who  would  rob,  murder  and  burn,  to  retain  their  places 
and  please  their  employers:  but  the  curtain  with 
drawn  which  concealed  their  objects,  and  their  views 
exposed,  they  cease  to  be  dangerous.  The  people 
:  roused,  they  retreat  from  Washington  the  day  after 
they  enter  it.  They  are  beaten  at  Baltimore,  and 
disgraced  at  Plattsburg.  Indeed  their  flight  at  Platts- 
burg  is  without  a  parallel  in  modern  history ;  while 
we  look  back  in  vain  for  specimens  of  firmness 
and  valor  equal  to  that  displayed  by  the  Americans 
in  defence  of  that  fortress.  Europe  will  behold  with 
astonishment,  thirty-five  hundred  men,  principally 
:mlitia,  driving  from  the  fords  of  the  river  Saranac 
fourteen  thousand  veterans,  who  had  fought  with 
success  for  ten-  years  against  French  regulars. 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOVTIt.-        if 

The  people  of  England,  if  their  prince  suffers  then* 
to  Hear  the  truth,  will  not  be  able  to  account  for  the 
dastardly  retreat  of  the  governor-general  of  the 
Canadas  in  the  night  time,  abandoning  his  beef,  his 
flour,  his  camp  equipage,  his  ammunition,  his  sick 
and  his  wounded  comrade?.  The  governor-general 
of  the  Canadas,  and  the' Americans',  can  explain  it  to 
them :  they  will  ascribe  it  to  our  faithful  rifles,  our 
cannon,  our  bayonets ;  to  the  holy  enthusiasm  which 
animates  Americans,  but  above  all,  to  the  interpo 
sition  of  a  just  God  who  smiles  on  a  good  and  noble 
cause.  I  should  not  be  surprised  at  the  prince  regent 
forbidding  the  London  journalists  publishing;  the  truth, 
as  respects  the  affairs  of  Baltimore  and  Plattsburg. 
It  might  bring  John  Bull  to  his  senses,  should  the 
truth  come  out  by  accident.  Mr.  Canning,  of  pun 
ning  memory,  who  wished  the  Americans  to  experi 
ence  some  dreadful  calamity,  to  bring  them  to  their 
senses,  as  he  expressed  it,  and  who  with  an  eye  to 
Ross  and  the  governor-general  of  the  Canadas,  and 
their  veterans,  lately  said  in  parliament,  we  were 
not  new  to  expect  such  a  peace  as  we  might  have  had 
before  Bonaparte  was  expelled  the  throne  of  France, 
to  quiet  the  people  whom  he  rides,  and  whips  and 
tpurs  so  unmercifully,  without  regard  to  the  condi 
tion  of  the  poor  beast,  may  rise  in  his  place,  and  pro 
fessing  to  undeceive  the  people,  declare  on  his  cor 
poral  oath  that  the  affairs  of  Baltimore  and  Plattsburg 
are  mer«  fabrications ;  and  that  the  battle  of  Lake 
Champlain  was  a  rencounter  between-  canoes  upon  a 
river  of  that  name.  Indeed  I  do  solemnly  believe 
that  nothing  is-  too  barefaced  for  this  miserable 
punster  and  unblushing  advocate  of  corruption  and 
tyranny. 

"  But  the  truth,,  and  the  whole  truth,  will  ultimately 
tome  out,,  notwithstanding  the  lying  reports  made  by 
their  commanders,  written  expressly  for  the  Gazette, 
They  will  fiad  in  the  short  space  of  four  months^they 


•12         -NOTES  ON  THE  AVAJl  lls  THE  SOLTII 

have  lost  in  killed,  woivmled  and  prisoners,  -nearly 
f  \vehe  thousand  troops — viz.  two  hundred  captured 
at  Eric1,  eight  hundred  killed  and  taken  in  the  surtie 
from  Erie ;  sixteen  hundred  in  Drummond's  -repulse 
from  E.rie;  eight  hundred  at  Chippewa;  ,o-ne  thousand; 
.at  the  classic  heights  of  Niagara;  one  thous&nd  at 
"Washington  ;  the  like  number  at  Baltimore;  two 
thousand  at  Plattsburg;  one thousand  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain  ;  besides  many  more  at  various  other  places : 
-that  while  those  losses  have  been  sustained  by  them, 
ours  have  not  amounted  to  a  fourth,  nay  more,  not  to 
a  sixth  of  their  number.  They  will  hear  also  that 
while  our  men  are  trire-to  the  .core,  their  oppressed 
, soldiers,  invited  by  the  fertility  of  our  soil,  the  salu 
brity  of  our  climates,  the  hospitality  of  our  people, 
the  mildness  and  respectability  of  our  governments, 
and  the  prospect  of  rising  from  the  dependent  and 
slavish  condition  to  which  they  have  been  reduced  in 
England  by  the  -combined  influence  of  fraud  and  the- 
:sword,  are  deserting  'from  them  hy  hundreds  and 
incorporating  themselves  with  us. 

In  fine,  the  people  of  'England  will  soon  discover, 
however  the  government  may  be  disposed  to  conceal 
jt,  that  if  the  war  continues  two  years  longer,  we 
shall  become  one  of  the  most  powerful  nations  in  the 
world.  Already  our  sun  has  risen  far  above  the 
political  ihorison,  with  a  splendor,  that  has  attracted 
the  eyes  of  the  universe.  Our  naval  victories  have 
•been  so  signal,  that  iu  every  sea  where  the  American 
flag  is  unfurled,  it  excites  admiration  and  respect, 
for  it  waves  o.ver  the  best  and  bravest  seamen  in  the 
world.  Our  militia  go  into  battle  with  something 
like  the  confidence  of  veterans,  and  on  any  thing  like 
equal  terms  beat  down  opposition.  Our  regulars  are 
the  pride  and  boast  of  our  country.  Our  Bro\vn, 
Jackson  and  Scott  are  thought  equal  to  the  first 
.European  generals,  while  Porter,  McComb,  Strieker, 
Ripley,  and  inaiiy  more,  have  giyea  promise 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    i.J 

of  distinguished  military  talents.  Our  manufactures, 
more  especially  oi  anna  and  ammunition,  exhibit  an 
elaboration  which  approximates  to  perfection.  Our 
agriculture  flourishes ;  the  music  of  the  loom  and 
spinning-wheel  every  where  delights  the  ear.  The 
fairest  of  all  Godrs  fair  creation,  to  whose  powers  we 
bow  with  all  the  emotions  inspired  by  respect,  wh  m 
we  delight  to  honor,  and  for  whose  safety  we  should 
think  it  true  glory  to  die,  clothe  us  with  the  work 
manship  of  their  fair  hands.  We  are  rapidly  improv 
ing  in  all  sorts  of  manufactures,  of  which  wool,  cotton 
and  iron  are  the  staple  articles.  In  a  little  time  we 
shall  want  nothing  that  is  made  in  England.  And 
•ur  wheat,  cotton,  hemp,  tobacco,  &c.  which  they  will 
want,  they  must  pay  for  in  money. 

I  anticipate  this  state  of  things  with  pleasure.  It 
is  a  consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished  for.  For 
myself,  I  candidly  confess,  that  taking  into  conside 
ration  the  crimes  they  have  perpetrated  at  Hampton 
and  elsewhere,  I  wish  to  have  as  little  intercourse  as 
possible  with  them.  They  oppressed  our  fathers, 
when  the  present  United  States  were  colonies.  They 
put  the  filth  of  Europe  in  requisition  for  seven  long 
years  to  fight  our  brave  forefathers  into  submission  to 
the  chains  they  had  forged  for  us.  *  Instigated  by  the 
devil,  they  have  repeatedly  sit  the  Indians  upon  us, 
and  paid  in  money  for  scalps  taken  from  the  mur 
dered  bodies  of  defenceless  women  and  children.: 
When  professing  to  be  at  peace  with  us,  they  were 
exercising  the  press  on  our  citizens,  and  murdering 
them  at  the  mouths  of  our  rivers.  Before  war  was 
declared,  they  laid  their  felonious  paws  on  a  thousand 
of  our  ships  and  millions  of  our  property,  and  se 
questrated  it  to  their  benefit.  And  now  that  they 
have  driven  us  into  war,  they  wage  it  against  us  in 
such  a  way,  as  to  shew  that  they  impiously  discharge 
themselves  from  all  the  obligations  imposed  by  the 
religion  of  Christ,  the  principles  of  honor  or  common 


14          JS7OTES  ON  TUB  WAtt  IN  TMB  SOUTH. 

honesty.  Every  honest  man  speaks  of  their  conduct 
with  the  bitterness  of  detestation.  Every  patriotic 
bosom  throbs  with  a  wish  to  punish  them. 

P.  S.  Since  writing  the  foregoing  number  of  the 
CRISIS,  I  have  learned  that  it  has  pleased  Uod  to  blesff 
our  arms  with  a  signal  victory  in  the  south-west. 
Our  young-  and  aspiring  eagles,  are  rapidly  gaining 
the  commanding  heights  to  which  nature  and  nature's 
God  seem  to  beckon  them;  they  cover  with  their 
protecting  win-rs  every  part  of  our  country,  and  m 
approaching  the  weaker  members  of  the  confedera 
tion,  unite  them  more  firmly  to  the  vast  foundations 
of  the  American  commonwealth.  The  writer  of 
$iese  communications  feeling  the  deepest  interest  in 
that  quarter,  and  possessing  means  of  information, 
(all  his  nearest  connections  being  in  arms  in  that 
section  of  the  country)  not  enjoyed  by  many,  will 
devote  two  of  the  succeeding  »i umbers  to  a  review  of 
the  most  important  events  tnere ;  in  which'  the  fate 
of  Fort  Mims,  and  the  defeat  of  the  celebrated 
"Weatherford,  the  key  and  corner  stone  of  the  Creek 
confederacy,  will  be  particularly  noticed  ;  and  facts 
made  public,  which  have  not  been  heretofore  gene 
rally  known* 


KOTCS  ON  THE  AVAR  IX  THE, SOUTH.         :s 


CHAPTER  III. 


IN  this  communication,  and  one  or  two  numbers 
that  will  follow,  I  shall  endeavor  to  exhibit  the  politi 
cal  portrait  of  our  affairs  in  the  south-west  section  of 
our  country.  In  doing  so,  I  am  performing  a  social 
duty.  Every  man,  who  renders  service  to  his  coun 
try,"  is  entitled  to  remuneration.  Affd  the  highest 
and  most  estimable  of  all  rewards,  next  to  conscious 
approbation,  is  the  applause  of  an  enlightened  public. 
Merit,  it  is  true,  in  all  governments,  whether  repub 
lican,  aristocratical  or  kingly,  is  too  frequently 
overlooked,  and  the  mead  of  praise  too  often  be 
stowed  on  the  meanest  subalterns,  to  die  prejudice 
of  men  who  make  the  noblest  sacrifices1,  ^o  advance 
the  general  happiness.  If  all  men  did  their  duty,  if 
all  possessed  that  species  of  courage  which  is  aione 
commendable,  the  daring  to  do  thai  which  is  right ; 
this  accusation  against  all  governments  would  cease 
to  be  heard,  because  it  would  cease  to  be  true :  but 
unfortunately,  such  are  our  prejudices  and  our  passi 
ons,  that  we  see  persons  and  measures  too  frequently 
through  perverted  and  deceiving  mediums;  and  hence, 
jnen  are  oftentimes  denounced  and  vilified  by  their 
contemporaries  for  deeds  in  themselves  meritorious/ 
and  entitled  alike  to  the  praise  of  present  and  future 
generations. 

The  writer  of  the  Crisis  has  examined  his  own 
heart;  and  while  he  acknowledges  a  due  portion  of 
infirmity,  he  feels  much  gratification  in  the  reflection, 
that  he  has  in  various  publications,  since  the  com 
mencement  of  the  just  and  necessary  war  in  which 
we  are  engaged,  particularly  in  the  essays  signed  a 


16         NOTES  OK  THE  WATl  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Virginian,  made  an  effort  to  transmit  to  posterity 
anecdotes  of  zeal,  patriotism  and  courage,  display  eel 
both  by  officers  and  privates,  in  the  service  of  their 
country:  and  the  principal  object  in  view  in  all  the 
antecedent  numbers  of  the  Crisis  has  been  invariably 
the  same*  The  eye  of  the  writer  has  frequently 
turned  towards  the  south-west  section  of  our  exten 
sive  country :  but  lost  in  admiration  of  the  blaze  of 
military  glory,  which  on  that  frontier  has,  without  in 
terruption,  shone  on  the  American  character,  he  has 
hitherto  refrained  to  animadvert  on  the  events,  winch 
requires  the  peri  of  a  Caesar  properly  to  pourtray: 
and  even  nowphe  with  diffidence  offers  the  informa 
tion  that  follows,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  preserved 
in,your  columns  for  the  use  of  the  historian  destined 
in  future  to  write  the  history  of  the  present  times. 

The  conduct  of  the  citizens  of  Tennessee,  Missi- 
sippi  Territory  and  Georgia,  in  this  war,  has  been 
such,  that  when  they  visit  the  other  states  in  the 
Uuion,  they  every  where  not  only  experience  all  the 
rights  of  hospitality,  but  the  ardent  patriot  through 
the  whole  nation  extends  the  right  arm  of  fellowship, 
and  in  the  language  of  the  heart  exclaims,  "you  too 
are  my  brethren."  Scarcely  was  the  war  commenced 
against  Great  Britain,  before  the  perfidious  court  of 
8t.  James  determined  on  the  annihilation  of  the  Amer 
ican  settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  by  means  so 
cruel,  and  perfidious  as  to  be  without  a  parallel  in  the 
history  of  any  country  but  England.  In  the  malignity 
of  her  hatred,  she  determined,  that  the  numerous 
and  fierce  tribes  of  savages  who  inhabit  the  banks  of 
the  Alabama,  should  be  stirred  up  to  an  extermin 
ating  war  against  us.  Rut  thank  God  !  by  valour, 
patriotism  and  firmness,  we  have  been  enabled  to 
defeat  the  vilest  excesses  of  human  corruption,  and 
dissolve  a  confederation,  which  at  one  time  threatened 
to  wipe  from  the  map  of  our  country,  as  with  the 
bosom  of  oblivion,  a  rich,  flourishing  and  respectable 
settlement. 


N0TKS  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    1?. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  the  nume 
rous  and  warlike  tribes  of  Indians,  denominated  the 
Creek  nation,  were  at  peace  with  the  United  States. 
The  American  government  had  long  indulged  a  hope, 
that  they  could  be  reclaimed  from  their  savage  state, 
and  induced  to  partake  of  the  benefits  of  civilization. 
For  this  purpose,  books  of  various  sorts,  more  especi 
ally  the  bible,  were  distributed  among  them.  Well 
informed  men  were  sent  to  instruct  them  in  reading, 
writing,  &c. ;  implements  of  husbandry  in  abundance 
were  furnished  them,  and  artists  hired  to  impart 
information  to  them  respecting  the  arts  and  trades, 
which  contribute  most  to  advance  the  comfort  of 
man.  AVhile  the  United  States  were  thus  honorably 
engaged,  the  British  agents  were  busily  employed 
in  stirring  up  the  Creek  savages  to  war  against  us. 
Tecumseh,  a  Potawatamie  chief,  who  had  made  him 
self  famous  by  numerous  murders  and  robberies  on 
the  north-western  frontier,  and  who  had,  as  a 
reward  for  his  crimes,  been  made  an  officer  in  the 
king's  army;  and  a  trader  by  the  name  of  Elliott,  a 
kinsman  of  the  notorious  Elliott,  passed  through  the 
nation  and  encouraged  the  savages  to  break  with  us. 
They  furnished  them  with  money  to  buy  a  stock  of 
arms  and  ammunition  in  Pensacola,  and  encouraged 
them  by  the  promise  of  assistance  from  powerful 
armies  to  be  sent  to  their  aid  from  beyond  the  great 
waters.  They  were  told,  that  of  right,  the  soil  on 
which  the  Americans  resided  belonged  to  the  savages; 
that  it  had  been  taken  from  them  fraudulently ;  that 
the  king  felt  indignant  at  the  imposition  put  on  his 
red  children,  and  had  determined  to  drive  the  white  in 
truders  from  the  beautiful  country  which  lies  beween 
the  Tombigbie  and  Mississippi ;  that  this  great  object 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Indians  could  be  easily 
effected ;  and  as  a  reward  for  the  assistance  which 
the  Indians  might  render,  the  soil  thus  conquered, 


18          NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH, 

and  the  moveable  plunder,  the  fruits  of  joint  exertion, 
should  be  guaranteed  to  the  savages. 

These  proposals  to  a  people,  passionately  fond  of 
bloodshed  and  rapine,  were  too  alluring  to  be  resist 
ed.  The  number  in  favor  of  war  increased  daily ; 
and  in  a  very  short  time,  with  few  exceptions,  the 
nation  was  preparing  to  make  it. 

Among  the  first  who  entered  into  the  views  of  the 
British  commissioners,  was  the  since  celebrated  Wea- 
therford;  with  whom  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  make 
the  reader  better  acquainted  at  this  time.     Weather- 
ford  was  born  in  the  Creek  nation.     His  father  was 
an  itinerant  pedlar,  sordid,  treacherous  and  revenge 
ful  ;  his  mother  a  full-blooded  savage,  of  the  tribe  oi 
the  Seminoles.     He  partook  of  all  the  bad  qualities 
of  both  his  parents,  and  engrafted  on  the  stock  he 
inherited   from  others,   many   that   were  peculiarly 
his  own.     With  avarice,  treachery,  and  a  thirst  for 
blood,  he  combines  lust,  gluttony,  and  a  devotion  to 
every  species  of  criminal  carousal.      Fortune,  in  her 
freaks,   sometimes  gives  to  the  most  profligate    an 
elevation  of  mind,  which  she  denies  to  men  whose 
propensites  are  the  most  virtuous.     On  Weatherford, 
she  bestowed  genius,  eloquence  and  courage.     The 
first  of  these  qualities  enabled  him  to  conceive  great 
designs,  the  last  to  execute  them  ;  while  eloquence, 
bold,  impressive  and  figurative,  furnished  him  with  a 
passport  to  the  favor  of  his  countrymen  and  follow 
ers.     Silent  and   reserved,  unless   when  excited  by 
some  great  occasion,  and  superior  to  the  weakness  of 
rendering   himself  cheap  by   the   frequency   of  his 
addresses,   he  delivered  his  opinions  but  seldom  in 
council ;  but  when  he  did  so,  he  was  listened  to  with 
delight  and  approbation.  His  judgment  and  eloquence 
had  secured  the  respect  of  the  old  ;  his  vices  made  him 
the  idol  of  the  young  and  the  unprincipled.  It  is  even 
doubted  whether  a  civilized  society  could  behold  this 
monster  without  interest.    In  his  person,  tall,  straight 


NOTES  ON  THE  \VAll  IN  THE  SOUTH.         10 

«nd  well-proportioned  ;  his  eye  black,  lively  and  pene 
trating,  and  indicative  of  courage  and  enterprise  ; 
his  nose  prominent,  thin  and  elegant  in  its  formation  ; 
while  all  the  features  of  his  face  harmoniously  arranged, 
speak  an  active  and  disciplined  mind.  Passionately 
devoted  to  wealth,  he  had  appropriated  to  himself  a 
fine  tract  of  land,  improved  and  settled  it ;  and  from 
the  profits  of  his  father's  pack,  had  decorated  and 
embellished  it.  To  it  he  retired  occasionally,  p.nd 
relaxing  from  the  cares  of  state,  he  indulged  in  plea 
sures  which  are  but  rarely  found  to  afford  satisfaction 
to  the  devotees  of  ambition  and  fame.  Such  \\  ere 
the  opposite  and  sometimes  disgusting  traits  of  cha 
racter  in  the  celebrated  Weatherford,  the  key  and 
corner  stone  of  the  Creek  confederacy  ! 

This  extraordinary  man  having  entered  fully  into 
the  views  of  Tecumseh  and  Elliott,  began  to  assem 
ble  lus  followers,  and  soon  collected,  at  the  town  of 
Eccanachaca  (which  in  the  Creek  language  means 
holy)  about  fifteen  hundred  warriors.  The  news  of 
this  warlike  spirit  in  the  Creeks  soon  spread 
the  frontiers,  and  dismay  for  awhile  "  set  on 
a  brow."  The  cloud  was  already  visible  above  the 
norizon ;  and  from  the  elements  which  composed  it, 
it  was  feared  that  its  consequences  would  be  dread 
ful.  Had  Weatherford  proceeded  directly  to  the 
execution  of  his  plans,  he  might  have  overrun  the 
whole  Mississippi  territory.  At  this  time  no  troops 
were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  territory,  except  a 
regiment  of  six  hundred  volunteers,  commanded  by 
Gen.  Claiborne,  raised  through  the  personal  ialluence 
«f  the  General  himself,  who  had  devoted  the  early 
part  of  his  life  to  war,  and  had  in  the  field  of  battle 
established  a  reputation  for  personal  bravery  and  miii 
tary  skill,  which  placed  him  among  the  first  of  the  pro 
fession.  This  regiment  was  stationed  at  Baton  Rougue 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  Tombi.2;bie  settlement. 
The  remains  of  two  old  Regiments  were  too  far  oft', 


20    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

being  at  New  Orleans,  to  co-operate  with  the  volun 
teers,  in  defence  of  the  frontiers.  In  fine,  the  United 
States  were  but  illy  prepared  to  meet  this  new  and 
unexpected  blow. 

Orders,  however,  were  issued  bj  Gen.  Flournoy 
to  Gen.  Claiborne,  on  the  28th  June,  1813,  to  march 
forthwith  with  the  volunteers  to  the  frontiers  of  the 
Mississippi  territory.  This  order  Gen.  Claiborne 
executed  with  zeal,  supplying  from  his  own  funds 
the  transportation  necessary  for  the  troops,  who  arrived 
at  Mount  Vernon  before  any  serious  mischief  was  done 
by  the  savages.  The  General  immediately  adopted  mea 
sures  necessary'for  the  defence  of  the  country;  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  men  were  directed  to  occupy  Fort 
Minims;  other  parts  of  the  regiment  were  divided 
among  two  other  forts ;  all  intended  to  protect  the 
Tombigbie  settlements,  which  was  the  first  part  of 
the  territory  likely  to  suffer,  from  the  inroads  of  the 
Indians.  The  scintillations  of  hostility  on  the  part 
of  the  Choctaws  to  the  United  States  had  already  be 
gan  to  appear ;  and  to  guard  against  them,  a  fourth 
division  repaired  to  their  lines,  while  a  few,  aided  by 
some  of  the  neighboring  settlers,  remained  at  Mount 
Vernon. 

The  foregoing  arrangements  being  made,  with  a 
view  to  the  protection  of  the  frontiers,  the  General 
came  to  a  determination  to  adopt  a  more  efficient 
system  of  operations  on  Weatherford,  in  the  heart  of 
the  Creek  nation.  With  this  view,  he  wrote  the 
Commanding  General  on  the  2d  of  August,  "  that 
if  you  will  authorize  my  entering  the  Greek  nation, 
I  will  do  so  in  ten  days  after  the  junction  of  the  7th 
regiment,  and  if  I  am  not  disappointed,  will  give  to 
our  frontiers  peace,  and  to  the  government  any  portion 
of  the  Creek  country  they  please.  Some  force  ous;ht 
to  enter  the  nation  before  they  systematise  and  are  ful 
ly  prepared  for  war.  With  one  thousand  men  and  your 
authority  to  march  immediately,  I  pledge  myself  to 


KOTES  ON  THE  V>*APc  IN  THE  SOUTH.          ;Jt 

burn  any  town  in  the  Creek  nation.  Three  months 
hence  it"might  be  difficult  for  three  thousand  to  effect 
what  can  be  done  with  a  third  of  the  number  at  pre 
sent.  They  gain  strength,  and  their  munitions  of  war 
cnlnnre  every  day."' — Unluckily  the  Commanding 
General  was  "not  authorised  to  grant  this  leave,  and 
ihc  volunteers  were,  left  to  act  on  the  defensive. 

About  this   time   General  Claiborne   visited  Fort 
Minims,  and  finding  the  works  defective,  gave  orders 
for  two  additional  block-houses,  and   concluded  the 
order,  with  these  words:  "To  respect  an  enemy  and 
prepare  in  the  best  possible  way  to  meet  him,  is  the 
certain  means  to  ensure  success."     Having  learned 
that  Weatherford  was  about  marching  to  attack  the 
torts,  the  general   repaired  to  Fort  Early,  and  took 
command  there  in  person.     To  this  step  the  General 
was  led  by  the  consideration,  that  it  was  sixty  miles 
more  advanced  in  the  nation  than  the  other  forts,  and 
of  course  the  first  at  which  the   enemy  might  strike. 
In  addition,  its  garrison  was  weaker  than  any  of  the 
other  posts.    As  soon  as  the  General,  in  consequence 
of  this  information,  went  on  to  Fort  Early,  he  wrote 
Major  Beasley  of  the  meditated  attacks  of  the  enemy, 
and  again  advised  him  of  the  necessity  of  being  on  his 
guard.     The  General's  letter  was   delivered  on  the 
39th  August,  and  the  next  day  Fort  Mimms  was  at 
tacked,  and  taken.     Weatherford  had  approached  it 
undiscovered  with  one  thousand  five    hundred  war 
riors,  and  before   the   garrison  was  apprised  of  its 
danger,    full    two    hundred     of    the    enemy    occu 
pied   the    gate,  which    from   neglect   had   been  left 
open    and  unguarded.      So   soon    as    Major    Beas 
ley  discovered  the  enemy,  he  rushed  forward  to  the 
gate,  followed   by   the  garrison.     A  bloody  contest 
now  ensued.     The  Indians  struggled  to  maintain  the 
possession  of  the  gate  ;  the  Americans,  animated  by 
the  example  of  the  gallant  but  unfortunate  Beasley, 
strore  to  drive  them~from  it.    The  victory  for  fifteen 
B  2 


22    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

minutes  appeared  doubtful.  The  weapons  used  by 
the  combatants  were  knives,  tomahawks,  swords  ami 
bayonets.  The  besieged,  and  the  assailant,  who 
could  not  gain  the  gate  in  consequence  of  the  crowd 
who  were  contending  for  it,  resorted  to  the  rifle  and 
musket.  The  scene  to  the  eye  of  sensibility  was  the 
most  melancholy  that  was  ever  yet  exhibited  on 
the  theatre  of  America.  The  whole  number  of  the 
garrison  was  two  hundred  and  seventy-five — of  this 
number  one  hundred  and  sixty  were  of  the  milita 
ry;  the  others  were  old  men,  women  and  children, 
who  had  repaired  to  the  fort  to  escape  assassination 
from  the  roving  savages.  Beasley  had  been  repeated 
ly  wounded,  yet  he  still  continued  to  defend  himself, 
till  he  fell  pierced  by  many  wounds.  Even  in  death 
he  preserved  his  reputation  for  heroic  courage,  and 
expired  with  his  eye,  that  never  winked  at  the  fear 
of  death,  steadily  fixed  on  the  enemy.  It  is  some 
what  remarkable  that  every  officer  expired  at  the  gate. 
A  lieutenant,  who  was  wounded  early  in  the  action, 
was  carried  into  ablock-house  by  two  women,  but  when 
he  had  recovered*a  little  from  the  wound,  he  insisted 
on  being  taken  back  to  the  gate.  This  being  done  by 
the  same  heroic  matrons,  it  is  said  of  him  that  he 
reposed  himself  by  the  side  of  a  dead  comrade,  and 
while  in  this  situation,  another  ball  terminated  his  exist 
ence.  All  the  American  officers,  and  most  of  their  sol 
diers,  being  now  killed,  the  savages,  after  losing  at 
the  gate  two  hundred  killed  and  twice  that  number 
wounded,  finally  entered  the  fort.  The  women  and 
children  now  took  possession  of  the  blockhouses,  and 
Seizing  on  the  guns  therein,  for  some  time  defended 
themselves  with  undaunted  bravery ;  but  the  houses 
were  finally  fired  by  the  enemy,  and  all  those  unfor 
tunate  females  and  their  children  who  had  escaped 
the  rifle  perished  in  the  flames.  Of  the  whole  number 
in  the  fort,  at  the  commencement  of  the  attack,  only 
seventeen  escaped,  gf  tUeia  two  thirds  were  badly 
wounded. 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    23 

The  fall  of  Fort  Mimms  resounded  through  the 
Union.  The  conduct  of  the  miscreant  Weatherford, 
who  was  under  so  many  obligations  to  the  United 
States,  was  every  where  reprobated.  The  gallant 
Jackson,  whose  campaigns  will  hereafter  be  reviewed, 
was  ordered  to  take  the  field  with  six  thousand  Ten- 
nesseans ;  and  four  thousand  Georgians  led  by  Gen. 
Floyd,  also  entered  the  Creek  nation  ;  and  in  the 
southern  quarter  Gen.  Flournoy  assumed  the  com 
mand  of  the  regulars  and  volunteers  on  the  frontiers 
of  the  Mississippi  territory.  The  savages,  on  the 
other  hand,  emboldened  by  their  success  at  Mimms, 
every  where  took  up  arms,  and  the  exposed  settle 
ments,  not  only  in  the  territory,  but  in  Georgia,  suf 
fered  all  those  extremities  of  distress  which  are  the 
accompaniements  of  Indian  war.  Gen.  Flournoy 
inarched  the  army  to  the  Tombigbie  settlements  to 
clear  the  forks  of  the  enemy,  who  after  the  destruc-' 
tion  of  the  fort  were,  foraging  among  the  deserted 
plantations.  The  army  was  so  lucky  as  to  fall  in 
with  them,  and  killed  several ;  but  could  not  bring 
them  to  a  general  action,  though  every  effort  was 
made  to  do  so.  The  Americans  succeeded ,  however, 
in  driving  them  from  the  frontier,  which  for  a  month 
they  had  pillaged  with  impunity.  This,  considering 
the  superior  force  of  the  enemy,  was  all  that  at  this 
time  eould  be  effected.  The  success  of  the  enemy 
at  Mimms  had  so  elated  the  savages,  that  those  who 
before  were  cold  and  neutral,  were  now  the  open 
advocates  of  war,  and  a  nation  capable  of  raising 
ten  thousand  warriors,  were  in  every  direction  in 
arms  against  us.  We  reserve  for  future  numbers  a 
review  of  the  memorable  operations  of  Jackson, 
Floyd,  and  others.  The  movements  of  the  troops  on 
the  Mississippi  frontier  is  the  sole  subject  of  this 
number. 

For   some   time   Gen.   Flournoy  commanded   the 
southern  army  with  distinguished  ability.    With  the 


H    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH, 

aid  of  the  Mississippi  volunteer?,  lie  had  succeeded 
in  driving  Wealheri'urd  from  the  Tombighie.  la  that 
quarter,  the  people  enjoyed  a  security  after  the  hill 
of  Fort  Minims'  beyond  what  was  to'have  been  ex 
pected,  considering  the  smallness  of  his  army.  In 
the  fall  of  the  year  1813,  Gen.  Flournoy,  in  conse 
quence  of  some  arrangements  made  by  the  Secret-iry 
of  War,  repaired  to  New  Orleans ;  by  which  step 
the  command  devolved  on  Gen.  Ciaiborne.  Gen.  C. 
no  sooner  took  command  of  the  army  than  he  deter 
mined  to  cany  the  war  into  the  heart  of  the  Cyeek 
nation,  as  soon  as  he  should  be  joined  by  Col.  Rus 
sell's  regiment  of  regulars.  This  junction  being 
effected  about  the  13th  of  November,  the  General 
took  up  his  line  of  march  to  Eccanachaca,  (or  holy 
town,)  which  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Alabama,  arid 
considered  from  its  topography  the  most  secure  spot 
in  the  nation;  being  defended  on  one  side  by  the 
river,  and  on  every  other  by  swamps,  almost  im 
pervious  to  Iranian  footsteps.  At  this  place,  which  is 
distanced  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  from  Weather 
ford's  Bluff,  and  at  which  Gen.  Ciaiborne  concentrated 
his  army,  the  enemy  had  collected  most  of  their  mili 
tary  stores,  impressed  as  they  were  that  it  could  not 
be  approached  and  destroyed.  On  the  march,  the  ene 
my  frequently  attempted  to  check  the  Americans;  but 
without  success.  Gen.  Ciaiborne  reached  the  swam]/'-* 
which  environ  Eccariachaca  on  the  22d  of  December, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  he  came  in  sight  of 
the  town.  The  army  had  marched  in  order  of  battle, 
formed  in  three  lines,  having  the  flanks  protected  by 
light  companies.  The  front  line  was  led  by  Major 
Smoot ;  the  centre  the  General  headed  in  person. 
Weatherford  on  the  other  hand,  had  formed  his  men, 
in  fine  order,  on  a  rise,  skirted  by  a  forest  of  brush 
wood.  As  soon  as  Smoot's  line  \vas  exposed  to  their 
view,  they  fired  on  them,  which  was  briskly  return 
ed.  The" action  being  commenced,  the  centre 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    2o 

advanced  with  a  quick  step,  and  soon  came  to  the 
ground  which  the  front  had  occupied,  and  from  which 
they  had  debouched  to  the  right  to  turn  the  enemy's 
left  flank,  and  give  an  opportunity  to  the  centre  to 
make  a  free  use  of  the  bayonet. 

The  regiment  of  regulars  under  Col.  Russell,  and 
the  volunteers  under  their  respective  officers,  vied 
with  each  other;  and  indeed  it  would  be  impossible  to 
discriminate  between  them.  The  enemy,  on  their 
part,  defended  themselves  with  courage,  nor  did 
they  fly  until  they  were  charged.  Cut  off  from  the 
points  to  which  they  no  doubt  intended  to  retreat,  by 
the  movements  of  the  front  line,  and  precipitated 
by  the  impetuosity  of  the  charge,  from  the  centre, 
they  retreated  through  the  town  to  the  river,  and  in 
dependently  of  those  lost  on  the  field  of  battle,  many 
must  have  perished  in  the  river.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy  was  upwards  of  one  hundred  ;  the  Ameri 
cans  lost  ten  in  all.  The  town,  containing  two 
hundred  houses,  the  best  built  in  the  nation,  was 
forthwith  destroyed,  as  was  the  magazine  of  pro* 
visions,  and  the  water  transportation  the  enemy 
had  collected  at  this  place.  The  next  day,  ano 
ther  town  ten  miles  higher  up,  was  burnt,  and  the 
plantation  of  "Weatherford  was  destroyed;  a  just 
punishment  for  the  unprovoked  and  savage  war  he 
had  waged  against  the  United  States  at  the  instance 
of  Great  Britain. 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  IV, 


IT  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  conduct  of  the 
United  States  to  the  Creek  Indians  was  both  just 
and  honorable.  Without  any  consideration,  save 
that  which  arises  from  the  consciousness  of  doing  a. 
good  act,  the  government  of  the  United  States  had, 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  endeavoured  to  reclaim 
them  from  a  savage  to  a  civilized  state.  By  the  ex 
ertions  of  government,  bent  only  on  augmenting  the 
stock  of  human  happiness,  it  was  evident  ;  that  the 
situation  of  the  Creeks  was  greatly  ameliorated. 
Many  of  them  spoke  and  wrote  our  language.  Pious 
men  were  sent  at  the,  expense  of  government,  to  in 
struct  them  in  the  religion  of  Christ."  The  rising  ge 
neration  were  instructed  in  numerous  schools.  The 
fruitful  soil,  with  which  the  country  abounds,  "groan 
ed  beneath  the  hand  of  honest  industry."  Forests 
were  cleared  which  shaded  a  hemisphere  filled  with 
riches  ;  and  each  revolving  year  gave  to  the  industri 
ous  Indian,  a  liberal  increase  to  his  stores.  A  senti 
ment  of  pity  (a  fit  cement  for  lasting  friendship)  had 
taken  possession  of  the  American  breast  towards  the 
Indians ;  and  our  citizens  and  government  vied  with 
each  other  in  acts  of  benevolence  and  charity  towards 
them.  They  were  instructed  in  the  fabrication  of  the 
implements  of  husbandry.  The  loom  and  the  spin 
ning  wheel  were  in  full  operation  through  the  whole, 
nation ;  while  the  art  of  house -building,  so  essential 
to  the  accommodation  of  man,  and  his  protection 
fro:n  the  winds  and  waters  of  heaven,  was  rapidly 
approximating  to  perfection.  If  any  of  our  citizens 
injured  them,  a  punishment  was  provided  by  h 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    57 

the  temper  of  the  nation,  in  unison  with  the  temper 
of  the  government,  rendered  its  infliction  certain. 
And  such  \vas  the  progress  of  the  Creeks  in  civiliza 
tion,  and  the  obligations  they  were  under  to  the 
United  States,  that  no  one  believed  they  could  be 
cajoled  into  a  confederacy  against  us. 

That  the  perfidious  court  of  S'.  James,  seeking 
for  aggrandisement,  in  the  misfortunes  of  all  peo 
ple,  would  attempt  it,  could  not  be  doubted.  The 
British  history  is  a  history  of  the  most  disgusting 
enormities.  In  every  quarter  of  the  globe  where  her 
councils  have  prevailed,  bloodshed  and  rapine  have 
followed  in  their  most  hideous  and  cruel  forms. 
What  precept  of  the  Christian  decalogue  has  that 
perfidious  court  observed  ?  None;  no,  not  one.  ^he 
has  rewarded  her  generals,  who,  in  cold  blood,  have 
given  up  to  the  hatchet  of  the  savage,  prisoners  made 
in  battle.  She  has  decorated  her  hall  of  legislation 
with  human  scalps.  She  has  alternately  fought  under 
the  banners  of  the  crescent  and  the  cross.  She  has 
associated  with  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  in  a  war 
against  Christians.  She  has  oppressed  the  cathoac 
of  Ireland,  and  at  the  same,  time  at  Home,  licked  the 
dust  from  the  foot  of  St.  Peter.  She  has  subsidized, 
as  the  occasion  required,  the  wandering  Arab,  and 
the  robbers  of  Algiers,  and  sought  an  alliance  with 
the  pirates  of  Barataria,  to  make  war  on  the  wor 
shippers  of  the  living  God. 

No  one  acquainted  with  the  British  history  will  be 
surprised  at  the  efforts  of  the  British  court  to  bring 
the  Creeks  into  the  league  she  had  formed  wftn 
other  savages,  against  us;  nor  will  any  one  thus  in 
formed,  suppose  she  would  hesitate,  from  the  consi 
deration  that  the  Creeks  had  no  cause  of  complaint 
against  us,  and  nearly  surrounded  as  the  Creeks  are 
by  the  American  settlements,  a  rupture  with  the 
United  States  would  end  in  the  ruin  of  the  Indians?. 
The  disposition  of  the  British  court  is  too  base  and 


28         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

bloody  ior  such  mild  and  philosophical  calculation*- 
Already  red  with  blood,  and  alike  regardless  of  the 
cries  ot  the  innocent  women  and  children,  who  might 
perish  by  the  scalping  knife  of  the  savage,  and  the 
ultimate  ruin  of  the  Indians;  she  was  prepared  for 
any  act,  however  atrocious,  which  would  give  an  ad 
vantage  over  her  enemy.  With  this  temper,  we  have 
seen  her  agents  mixing  with  the  savages  and  stirring 
them  up  to  an  unjust  and  unnecessary  war  ;  supply 
ing  them  with  arms  and  ammunition  to  destroy  their 
benefactors  and  friends,  and  stimulating  them  to  the 
commission  of  numerous  murders,  by  promising  to 
add  to  their  already  ample  territory,  the  beautiful 
country  that  lies  between  the  Tombigbie  and  the 
Mississippi.  But  fortunately,  no  blind  fatality  rules 
the  destinies  of  man.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  eye 
of  a  just  God  that  overlooks  the  transactions  of  the 
word;  and  hence  it  is  that  the  Creek  confederacy, 
though  directed  by  the  genius  of  a  Weatherford,  has 
been  dissolved  by  the  brave  and  patriotic  men,  whose 
deeds  we  are  recording,  with  the  ease  that  a  Hercules 
disengages  himself  from  the  cobwebs  of  a  spider. 

But  it  is  time  to  turn  from  this  digression,  and  ex 
hibit  a  view  of  the  operations  of  Gen.  Jackson;  who, 
after  the  attack  by  Weatherford  on  Fort  Minims, 
was  ordered  with  a  strong  force,  to  enter  the  Creek 
nation.  General  Jackson  soon  collected  a  respecta 
ble  force  at  the  Ten  Islands,  where  he  was  delayed 
for  some  time  from  active  operations  by  the  want  of 
provisions.  The  government  of  the  United  States, 
not  expecting  a  war  with  the  Creeks,  were  unprepared 
for  such  an  event;  and  we  all  know  how  difficult  it  is 
to  put  the  commissariat  in  proper  order;  yet  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  troops  at  the  Ten  Islands  was  not 
without  advantage,  as  it  served  to  keep  embodied 
in  his  vicinity,  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy,  collected 
from  the  upper  Creek  towns,  while  General  Flour- 
uoy  was  operating  against  Weatherford  in  the  forks 


SOTE9  6N  THE  \VA3R  Itf  TH& 

of  t  .  Tombigbie.  By  the  indefatigable  exertions  of 
Gen.  Jackson,  provisions  in  abundance  were  at  last 
procured,  and  the  General  found  himself  in  a  situation 
to  commence  active  operations.  About  the  first  of 
November,  1813,  he  detached  Gen.  Coffee,  an 
officer  of  great  merit,  with  nine  hundred  mounted 
riflemen  and  cavalry,  with  directions  to  cross  the 
Coosey  river,  and  attack  the  Tallushatches  Towns, 
at  which  place  the  Upper  Creeks  were  beginning  to 
assemble.  These  orders  were  executed  by  General 
Coffee  with  promptitude.  On  the  morning  of  the  third 
of  November,  Gen.  Coffee's  detachment  reached  the 
town,  While  they  were  yet  distant  a  mile,  the  yells 
of  the  savages  were  heard,  a  proof  that  they  were 
aware  of  Coffee's  approach  and  were  preparing  for 
battle.  From  the  great  superiority  of  the  American^ 
the  action  lasted  but  a  short  time.  The  town  was 
built  in  wood-lands,  a  circumstance  favorable  to  the 
savages.  Each  tree  served  as  a  breastwork,  and  from 
behind  them  the  Indians  defended  themselves  with 
desperation.  Driven  at  last  from  their  shelter  by  a 
charge,  they  retreated  to  the  houses,  which  they  de 
fended  till  every  svarrior  was  killed.  Not  a  man  of 
them  would  accent  quarters.  Posterity  may  be  dis 
posed  to  doubt  this  tact.  It  is  nevertheless  true. 

In  more  instances  than  one,  a  humane  attempt  to 
save  the  life  of  a  wounded  Indian  was  near  proving 
fatal  to  him  who  made  it.  Every  Indian  acted,  as  if 
the  safety  of  the  Creek  nation  depended  on  himself 
only:  not  one  would  turn  on  his  heel  to  save  his  life  ; 
and  when  the  Americans,  satisfied  with  victory,  made 
demonstrations  of  quarters,  it  was  met  by  the  brow 
of  supercilious  and  haughty  contempt.  The  loss  of 
the  enemy  was  two  hundred  killed,  that  of  the 
Americans  was  five  killed  and  forty-six  wounded. 
Gen.  Coffee,  Col.  Cannon,  and  Col.  vAllcorn  distin 
guished  themselves  in  this  affair,  and  were  all  in  the 
front  when  this  charge  was  made.  During  the  action, 


3d         N*TES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

an  occurrence  took  place,  which  I  am  the  more  in^ 
clined  to  relate  never  having  seen  it  in  print  that  I 
recollect,  and  which  from  its  importance  it  would  be 
inconsistent  with  the  fidelity  of  history  not  to  record, 
more  especially  as  it  serves  to  shew  the  dreadful 
fanaticism,  with  which  the  British  agents  had  con 
trived  to  inspire  a  large  portion  of  the  Creek  nation. 

An  Indian  of  great  consequence,  as  soon  as  the 
battle  commenced,  vaulted  on  the  roof  of  one  of  the 
houses,  and  while  his  countrymen  were  fighting,  he 
was  busily  engaged  in  haranguing  them. ^ His  address 
has  since  been  understood  to  have  been,  that  the 
Great  Spirit  was  in  favor  of  the  Indians  and  their 
allies  the  British ;  and  that  innumerable  spirits  of 
inferior  order,  at  that  moment  occupied  the  sur 
rounding  atmosphere,  commissioned  by  heaven  to 
catch  the  bullets  shot  by  the  Americans ;  and  to 
demonstrate  to  his  countrymen  the  truth  of  what  he 
said,  he  declared,  that  he  had  exposed  himself  on 
the  top  of  the  house  in  full  view  of  the  enemy  safe 
from  all  harm.  His  exposed  situation  and  the  vehe* 
mence  of  his  expressions,  however,  attracted  notice, 
an<i  a  shot  soon  convinced  him  of  his  delusion,  and 
puv  an  end  to  his  existence. 

On  the  return  of  Coffee  te  the  Ten  Islands,  Gen. 
Ja-  kson  passed  over  the  Goosey  river,  with  the  main 
army,  and  pushed  on  to  Tailidoga,  where  the  upper 
Creeks,  one  thousand  one  hundred  strong,  were  be- 
sieving  a handfui  of  friendly  Indians.  On  the  seventh 
of  November,  ha  arrived,  and  a  memorable  battle 
was  fought,  which  eventuated  in  the  defeat  of  the 
B.-nish  allies,  who  losi  two  hundred  and  severity- 
eight  killed,  besides  many  wounded  :  the  loss  of  the 
Americans  was  fifteen  kifled  and  eighty-four  wound 
ed.  Gen.  Jackson  had  formed  his  army  in  parallelo 
grams.  The  contest  was,  as  may  well  be  imagined, 
\ineu ;!•{{.  On  the  side  of  the  savages,  fanatical  fury: 
on  tue  pur t  of  the  Americans,  bravery  supported  by 


£<J£  < 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    31 

a  profound  system  of  tactics.  Nothing  could  equal 
the  surprise  of  those  barbarians  at  finding  themselves 
beaten  through  aline  of  more  than  a  mile  long,  while 
they  retreated  and  were  cut  to  pieces. 

On  the  morn  ing  of  the  eighteenth  of  November  an 
action  was  fought  by  a  body  of  militia  from  East 
Tennessee,  commanded  by  Gen.  T\\hite,  and  the 
Creeks  at  Hillibee  town.  The  loss  on  both  sides  was 
trifling  in  killed  or  wounded.  The  enemy,  early  in 
the  action,  threw  down  their  arms  and  demanded 
quarters,  which  was  given  without  hesitation.  The 
prisoners  were  marched  into  the  settlements  and 
treated  with  kindness. 

The  resentment  which  the  barbarous  murders  at 
Fort  Miming  had  excited,  had  in  part  subsided.  Ti-e 
Indians  had  been  punished  severely  for  their  cruel 
conduct  at  that  place,  and  for  their  murders  on  the 
frontiers  of  Georgia  and  Mississippi  territory.  And 
the  government  and  people  of  the  United  States 
were  alike  disposed  to  bury  the  tomahawk  and  be 
at  peace :  but  unfortunately  a  powerful  party  still 
existed  among  the  Creeks  bent  on  war.  In  our  next 
we  shall  finish  our  review  of  Gen.  Jackson's  and 
Gen.  Floyd's  campaigns,  which  produced  peace,  and 
we  trust  a  lasting  one. 

In  closing  tUis  number  a  train  of  melancholy  re 
flections  rush  upon  the  mind.  Man,  it  would  sec  in 
is  destined  to  be  unhappy:  he  cannot  be  reclaimed 
to  a  state  of  primitive  peace.  And  shall  one  bar 
barous  and  unfeeling  court,  forever  be  permitted  by 
their  ambition  and  their  crimes,  to  keep  the  remot 
est  regions  of  the  earth  exposed  to  the  flames  of  war? 
No.  The  insular  situation  of  Britain  shall  not  al 
ways  protect  her ;  her  crimes,  recorded  on  the  im 
perishable  pages  of  faithful  history,  shall  excite  the 
notice  of  all  nations.  Though  her  prince  regent  may 
be  drunk  "  like  Festus,"  with  ambition  and  unde 
served  success  i  the  hand  e£  retributive  justice  must 

o 


$*        NOTES  ON  THE  WAH  IN  THE  SOUTH.- 

at  last  overtake  him.  His  iron  bosom  may  jet  shake 
on  a  throne  which  he  disgraces ;  and  his  courteous 
satellites  be  convinced  that  heaven  never  intended 
that  the  triumphs  of  despotism  and  vice  should  be 
eternal.  The  cup  of  British  abominations  is  frill  to 
overflowing.  The  billows  of  blood,  which  by  British 
intrigues  have  successively  stained  the  sands  of  Asia, 
the  forests  of  America  and  the  fairest  provinces  of 
continental  Europe,  may  yet  be  rolled  back 
England  herself. 


JfOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  two  antecedent  numbers  of  the  Crisis  present 
$ie  reader  with  a  detail  of  numerous  battles  fought 
between  the  Americans  and  the  Creek  Savages.  At 
the  recital,  a  good  man  is  inclined  to  ask,  wkence 
arises  this  contention  between  natives  of  the  same 
soil,  and  capable  of  rendering  to  each  other  so  many 
acts  of  benevolence  and  kindness  ?  A  man  at  all 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  court  of  St.  James, 
for  the  last  fifty  years,  will  not  be  surprised  at  being 
told,  it  has  arisen  from  the  cruel  and  perfidious> 
policy  of  that  court.  Did  not  the  first  American  war 
spring  out  of  the  tyranny  of  that  court,  and  did  Great 
Britain  cease  to  wage  it  until  she  had  expended  one 
hundred  millions  of  money,  and  sacrificed  one  hurt- 
dred  thousand  lives  ?  What  enlightened  man  who 
is  ignorant  of  the  fact,  that  every  war  which  has  since 
disturbed  the  repose  of  the  world,  both  civilized 
and  savage,  has  originated  from  the  same  corrupt 
court?  Alas!  how  deeply  is  it  to  be  regretted,  that 
the  success  which  has  attended  her  ambitious  projects 
in  Europe,  has  rendered  her  bolder,  and  given  to  her 
soldiery  propensities  and  habits,  which  must  make  it 
the  wish  and  the  interest  of  all  good  governments 
and  all  brave  men  to  set  limits  to  41  power  which  she 
so  villainously  abuses, 

Not  content  with  the  advantages  which  the  com 
mercial  habits  of  her  people  would  alone  ensure 
her,  for  a  century  to  come,  over  all  other  nations,  she 
seeks  to  make  all  who  venture  on  the  ocean  tri~ 
butary  to  her  ;  and  should  all  nations  knuckle 


M-   NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

pretensions  which  the  British  court  sets  up  to  the 
sovereignty  of  the  seas,  all  will  in  reality  become 
her  colonies.  The  efforts  she  makes  to  bring  the 
world  to  this  state  of  degradation,  are  indeed  gigan 
tic.  She  oppresses  her  own  people,  and  scatters 
among  unprincipled  chieftains  of  all  countries  and 
all  colors,  black,  red  and  white,  bribes  and  favors,  to 
enlist  them  in  her  interest.  Were  all  the  citizens  of 
the  different  countries  which  she  has  oppressed,  what 
they  should  be,  her  piratical  courses  would  be  aban 
doned  ;  the  band  of  cut-throats  and  ravishers  deno 
minated  the  British  army,  would  be  dispersed  ;  the 
pine,  which  grows  on  the  craggy  mountain,  would  be 
cut  down,  not  to  ride  on  the  liquid  wave  to  oppress 
man,  but  to  give  a  wider  spread  to  civilization  and 
commerce.  War  would  cease  ;  man  would  look  on 
his  species  as  his  brethren.  The  innocent  infant 
would  repose  in  the  cradle,  exempt  from  the  terrors 
inspi-ed  by  the  savage  in  British  pay.  The  virtuous 
matron  would  no  longer  be  in  fear  of  an  outrage 
more  terrible  than  death.  And  the  mansions  of  the 
dead  would  no  more  be  broken  into,  and  the  mementos 
of  affection  for  departed  worth  stolen  away.  In  look 
ing  over  the  pages  of  British  history,  which  groan 
"while  they  record  British  crimes,  I  have  sometimes 
been  tempted  to  exclaim,  "  A  blind  fatality  governs 
the  destines  of  .man !  How  else  has  it  happened, 
that  the  monsters,  who,  at  Hampton,  at  St.  Sebas 
tian's  and  at  Tappanannock,  gave  vent  to  vices 
which  have  not  heretofore  been  ascribed  to  the  fabled 
fugitives  from  the  flames  of  hell,  have  been  suffered 
to  remain  unexpunged  from  the  face  of  the  earth  r" 
But  I  am  wrong.  It  is  the  decrees  of  a  just  God 
which  are  fulfilling.  All  people  will  ultimately  be 
raised  against  "  the  robbers  of  the  world — the  com- 
jnon  enemy  of  mankind."  A  drunken  ideot,  under 
Che  influence  of  unprincipled  ambition,  will  not  ib*- 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH;    *5? 

ever  be  permitted  to  destine  to  the  flames  of  war 
the  remotest  regions  of  the  world. 

I  will  venture  to  augur,  if  Great  Britain  persists  in 
the  war  against  the  United  States,  and  continues  to 
tyranize  over  all  countries,  as  she  has  done  for  the 
last  fifty  years,  that  the  present  generation  will  yet 
witness  her  total  overthrow.  What  cause  has  she  for 
carrying  on  the  war  against  the  United  States? 
None.  At  peace  with  all  Europe,  the  grounds  of  this 
war  are  removed.  She  would  be  without  a  pretext 
for  those  robberies'  and  impressments,  which  drove 
us  in  self-defence  to  take  up  arms..  Why,  then,  does 
she  continue  to  wage  it  B  Her  object  is  visible  to  all 
mankind.  She  wishes  to  gain  advantages  by  which 
she  may  oppress  us  in  future,  and  prevent  our  growth 
in  population  and  commerce.  Maine  and  New  Or 
leans  are  the  objects  of  her  ambition.  Possessed  of 
these,  the  north,  and  the  south,  and  the  west  of  this- 
great  country  must  be  tributary  to  her.  Our  trade 
must  pass  in  review  before  her,  while,  with  the 
tomahawk  of  her  Indian  allies,  she  would  circum 
scribe  our  limits.  Fortunately  for  us,  the  viper  bites 
against  a  file.  The  campaigns  we  are  reviewing  will 
shew  the  folly  and  madness  of  her  plans-.  She  may 
collect  her  troops  and  scatter  her  sattelites  along  our 
coast ;  but  the  brave  yeomanry  who  oppose  her,  can 
not  and  will  not  be  enslaved.  Her  most  powerful 
ally  in  this  war,  the  Creek  Indians,  have  been  beaten 
into  peace.  And  we  now  resume  our  review  of  the 
occurrences  which  led  to  this  happy  event.. 

It  may  be  observed,  that  the  Creeks  who  were  at 
war  with  us,  like  ancient  Gaul,  may  be  divided  into 
three  parts.  One  part  inhabited  the  Alabama,  another 
the  Coosey,  and  the  third  the  Tallapoosa.  Of  these, 
it  may  be  said,  that  those  who  occupied  the  Coosey 
and  Tallapoosa  were  the  most  numerous  and  perhaps 
tlie  •OcOfst  warlike;  those  on  the  Alabama  the  most 
savage;, and  led  on.  by.  a.  chief,  (Weatherford,)  wh'fr. 


tilfc        WtJTES  ON  THE  WMl  Iff  THE  SOUTH, 

has  appeared  on  the  theatre  of  the  world  with  im- 
usual  lustre.  Against  all  three,  at  the  time  of  which 
we  are  speaking,  a  simultaneous  movement  was  made, 
by  troops  from  the  west  under  Gen.  Jackson ;  from 
the  north  under  Gen.  Floyd;  and  from  the  south 
under  Gen.  Claiborne.  Of  the  operations  of  these 
•generals  we  shall  speak  separately. 

On  the  twenty -third  of  December,  1813,  General 
Claiborne  gained  the  banks  of  the  Alabama  river,  and 
defeated  W  atherford  in  a  pitched  battle,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  destroying  the  principal  towns  on  that 
river;  afte-  which,. the  .Alabanrians,  who  had  so  far 
survived  the  war,  transferred  themselves  to  the  Tal- 
lapoosa  and  Goosey  country  ;  and  the  frontier  of  the 
Mississippi  territory  no  longer  witnessed  the  horrors  - 
of  savage  warfare.. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1813,  Gen.  Floyd,  with 
the  Georgian  troops,  occupied  a  post  on  the  southern 
bank  of  tiie  Tallapoosa  river,  and  had  a  severe  action 
with  th&  savages.  At  dawn  of  day,  Gen.  Floyd  hav 
ing  previously  formed  for  battle,  saw  the  Indians- 
present  themselves  at  every  point;  and  the  battle 
soon  became  general.  The  Indians  fought  with  the 
desperation  of  fanatics.  At  nine  o'clock  they  were 
charged  by  the  Americans  and  completely  routed. 
The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  estimated  at  three  hun 
dred  killed  and  wounded  \  among  the  former  were 
two  of  their  kings.  The  loss  of  the  Americans  was 
stated  in  killed  and  wounded,  to  amount  to  seventy, 
among  the  wounded  was  Gen.  Floyd,  who  on  this  oc 
casion  discovered  all  the  traits  which  denote  an  able 
general ;  and  Col.  Newman,  who  has  since,  for  his 
services  on  this  day,  been  made  adjutant-general  of 
the  Georgia  militia.  All  the  troops  acquitted  them 
selves  handsomely  in  battle,  and  discovered  that 
subordination,  which  is  the  sure  presage  of  victory 
and  glory.  On  the  twenty-seventh  of  January,  1814,. 
fekurge.  body  of  Indian*  iuau«  au  attack  at  five  o'clock 


NOTES  ON  TftE  WAR  IN  THE  SOlJiif,          $7 

on  Gen.  Floyd's  army.  They  stole  upon  and  shot 
\he  cehtinels,  and  rushed  with  great  impetuosity  on 
ihe  American  lines.  The  right,  left  and  front  were 
closely  pressed  ;  but  the  good  conduct  of  the  officers 
and  the  men,  at  last  triumphed,  and  the  savages, 
notwithstanding  the  advantages  under  which  they 
came  into  action,  were  repulsed  at  every  point.  At 
day-light  the  cavalry  charged  and  sabred  all  whom 
they  could  overtake. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy  had  been  variously  repre 
sented  ;  it  is  admitted  on  all  hand*  to  have  been  con- 
aideraWe.  They  had  an  opportunity,  from  the  dark 
ness,  to  remove  many  of  their  killed  and  wounded, 
and  of  it  they  availed  themselves.  The  loss  on  the 
part  of  the  Americans  was  indeed  severe,  and  amount 
ed  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded.  The 
brave  Col.  Newman  in  the  commencement  of  the 
action  received  three  balls,  and  the  Adjutant- General 
Hardin  had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him.  Majors 
Watson's,  Booth's,  Cleveland's  and  Freeman's  bat 
talions,  all  signalized  themselves,  as  did  Captain 
Duke  Hamilton's  cavalry.  Soon  after  this  last  action, 
Floyd's  army  was  disbanded,  and  afterwards,  no  ex 
pedition  of  moment  was  carried  on  against  the 
Greeks  from  Georgia. 

We  shall  now  finish  our  reviews  of  Gen.  Jackson's 
campaigns;  beginning  where  our  last  number  closed. 
Gen.  Jackson  being  informed  of  the  movements  of 
Floyd,  and  that  it  was  the  intention  of  that  general 
to  advance  on  Tueaboche,  which  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  upper  Creeks,  resolved  on  making  a  diversion  in 
his  favor.  With  this  view  he  took  up  his  line  of 
march  on  the  fourteenth  of  January,  1814.  On  the 
twenty-first  he  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  the  bend 
of  Tallapoosa.  Knowing  that  he  was  iij  the  neigh 
borhood  of  a  large  Indian  force,  his  order  of  encamp 
ment  was  that  of  battle.  It  was  fortunate.  L:  th« 
morning,  at  six  o'clock*  the  enemy,  in  great 


58         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Attacked  his  left  flank  ;  the  action  continued  to  ragm 
en  the  left  flank  and  on  the  left  of  the  rear  line  to? 
90 me  time.  As  soon  as  it  was  light,  the  attacked  lines 
were  ordered  to  charge  the  enemy,  which  was  done 
accordingly.  The  slaughter  was  prodigious ;  the 
savages  were  driven  by  the  bayonet  full  two  miles. 
About  eight  o'clock,  the  enemy  again  appeared  on 
the  right  flank,  and  renewed  their  attack ;  but  they 
were  quickly  repulsed  by  the  troops  under  the  com 
mand  of  Cols.  Carrol  and  Higgins,  who  greatly  dis 
tinguished  themielves.  Cul.  Carrol  has  since  beep 
advanced  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  No  man 
better  deserved  promotion.  To  an  excellent  under 
standing  he  unite*  expedience.  His  patriotism  is 
ardent ;  his  constitution  strong;  his  devotion  to  the 
military  profession  appears  to  have  been  born  with  him ; 
and  being  in  the  bloom  of  life,  he  may  have  an  oppor 
tunity  to  render  his  country  much  service.  -In  this 
last  rencontre,  the  gallant  General  Coffee  was  wound 
ed.  And  his  aid-de-camp  A.  Donaldson,  Esq.  was 
killed.  Having  succeeded  in  making  a  diversion  in 
favor  of  Floyd,  Gen.  Jackson  determined  to  fall  back 
on  his  resources,  rendered  necessary  from  the  want 
of  provisions,  which  will  always  be  a  serious  incon 
venience  to  any  army  who  have  to  open  a  road  as  they 
advance  into  an  enemy's  country.  In  conformity 
with  this  determination,  Gen.  Jackson  took  up  his  re-* 
turn  march  the  next  day.  On  the  twenty -fourth,  the 
army  had  to  pass  a  defile,  at  which  the  general  anti 
cipating  an  attack,  gave  orders  to  the  different  offi 
cers  relative  to  the  mode  of  defence.  The  front 
columns  had  already  passed,  and  the  centre  had  en 
tered  it,  when  the  alarm-gun  was  fired.  We  have 
seen  the  heroic  firmness  which  those  troops  had  here 
tofore  displayed  ;  we  are  at  a  loss  how  to  account  lor 
the  panic  which  they  now  discovered.  IS  otwithstand- 
ing  the  best  efforts  of  the  general,  Col.  Carrol  and 
many  Others*  the  rear  precipitately  fled  ;  failing  back 


KGTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    & 

on  the  centre,  they  spread  dismay  there  also.  About 
twenty-five  of  the  rear  guard  were  rallied.  Russel"* 
company  of  spies  stood  tirm,  as  did  Armstrong's  ar<- 
tillery.  These  troops  acquitted  themselves  beyond 
all  expectation.  They  advanced  to  the  top  of  a  hilU 
to  which  they  were  ordered,  through  a  most  galling 
fire,  and  dragged  up  the  artillery,  from  which  they 
poured  on  the  enemy  a  shower  of  grape  shot;  then 
charged  and  repulsed  them.  Craven  Jackson  and 
Constantine  Perkins,  two  privates  of  the  artillery, 
greatly  distinguished  themselves.  The  reader  may 
well  see  the  perilous  situation  the  army  was  in,  when 
told  that  this  body  of  brftve  men  had  scarce  gained 
the  hill,  when  Capt.  Armstrong,  Captains  Mugavock, 
Bradford  and  Hamilton  all  fell. 

The  honorable  "William  Cookc,  who  had  entered 
the  army  as  a  volunteer,  at  the  age  of  sixty-live,  as 
cended  the  hill,  ^nd  was  among  the  very  first  who 
came  into  action.  To  the  honor  of  the  troops  gene 
rally,  it  must  be  remembered,  that  the  panic  soon 
subsided,  and  being  rallied,  was  advancing  to  the 
support  of  their  comrades,  whom  we  have  seen  so 
gallantly  dispersing  the  enemy.  This  last  defeat 
was  decisive.  The  yell  of  the 'savages  was  heard  wo 
more  during  the  return  march  of  the  army.  The  loss 
of  Gen.  Jackson  in  those  several  actions  with  the 
enemy  was  considerable.  It  is  some  consolation  to 
reflect  that  that  of*  the  enemy  was  greater  by  four 
fold.  From  this  time  to  the  twenty-eighth  of  March, 
nothing  occurred  worthy  of  notice.  On  this  day  a 
battle  was  fought  at  the  bend  of  the  Tallapoosa, 
•which  put  an  end  to  the  war  with  the  Creeks.  It  was 
to  the  savages  bioo-dy  and  disastrous,  and  put  them 
completely  within  the  power  of  the  United  States, 
It  appears  from  the  official  letters  of  Gen.  Jackson, 
that  the  enemy's  loss  could  not  have  fallen  short  of 
ei^i  •  hundred  killed,  and  it  was  believed  by  some  to 
have  exceeded  a  thousand.  The  enemy  now  acknow- 


40         NOTES  ON  tHIi  WAtt  IN  TUB  SOUTH. 

ledged  themselves  conquered.  The  Americans  lost 
nearly  two  hundred  killed  and  wounded.  The  Ame 
rican  government  forgave  their  perfidy  and  made 
peace  with  them.  Major  Montgomery,  Lieut.  So- 
nierviile  and  Lieut.  Moulton  were  the  officers  killed 
in  this  memorable  battle.  "  No  men.  ever  acted  more 
bravely  or  fell  more  gloriously." 

Of  all  the  slain  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  the 
gallant  young  Montgomery  appears  to  have  been  most 
deeply  regretted.  The  present  generation  has  done 
justice  to  his  merits.  Posterity  will  consider  the 
ground  on  which  he  fell  as  holy;  for  there  is  deposited 
all  that  was  perishable  of  a  gentleman,  a  scholar,  a 
patriot  and  a  hero.  The  man  who  loves  his  country 
and  venerates  the  name  of  the  hero  who  would  cite  to 
defend  it,  will  feel  a  wish  to  become  more  intimately 
acquainted  with  this  illustrious  vindicator  of  his  coun 
try's  rights.  To  gratify  this  laudable  curiosity,  I  sub 
join  a  brief  sketch  of  th«  life  and  character  of  Major 
Montgomery.  I  am  the  more  inclined  to  do  so,  be 
cause  I  have  never  seen  any  thing  of  the  kind  in  print, 
.that  I  recollect. 

Major  Montgomery  was  born  in  Wythe  county, 
Virginia,  of  parents  who  partook  of  the  perils  and 
shared  the  glories  of  the  American  Revolution.  His 
family  at  an  early  day,  emigrated  from  Ireland,  and 
in  this  their  adopted  country,  transmitted  to  their 
children  those  traits  of  character  for  which  the  Irish 
people  have  been  celebrated  throughout  the  civilized 
world.  The  major  inherited  troui  them  genious,  wit, 
liberality  and  courage.  Having  received  a  liberal 
education  at  an  academy  in  North  Carolina,  he  qua 
lified  himself  for  the  profession  of  the  law.  I  am 
told  he  was  an  able  lawyer,  and  an  eloquent  pleader 
of  causes. 

On  the  war  breaking  out  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  lie  laid  aside  his  profession  and 
Altered  into  the  army.  In  this  new  situation  he  soon 


N9TES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH'.          41 

developed  those  qualities  which  have  rendered  his 
memory  so  dear  to  the  good  and  virtuous  part  ef  the 
community.  Attentive  to  the  health  and  wants  of 
Iiis  men,  he  was  esteemed  by  them  as  a  father;  exact 
in  his  discipline,  strictly  obedient  to  the  orders  of 
Iiis  superiors,  and  punctilious  in  the  performance  of 
his  promises,  younger  officers  looked  on  him  as  a 
model  for  imitation — for  in  him  Nature  had  implanted 
sentiments  of  honor  without  a  shade.  In  his  person, 
he  was  tall,  being  upwards  of  six  feet  high,  slender 
and  delicate;  his  complexion  pale,  and  his  appear 
ance  indicative  of  observation  and  thought.  In  the 
company  of  the  opposite  sex,  he  was  polite,  reserved 
and  modest ;  for  he  felt  that  the  dependence  of  the 
one  imposed  the  obligation  of  protection  on  the  other. 
Anticipating  the  Indian  war  in  which  he  fell,  he  visit 
ed  his  relations  for  the  last  time.  To  one  of  them,  he 
is  said  to  have  expressed  himself  as  follows  : — "  I 
grieve  not  at  my  departure :  should  it  be  my  lot  to 
Jfali  in  battle,  I  hope  I  shall  die  gloriously  ;  and  then 
you  will  tell  of  my  late  with  pleasure."  Yes,  gen 
erous,  noble  youth,  at  the  age  of  twenty -four  years 
you  have  verified  your  own  expectations :  you  have 
done  honor  to  your  progenitors  and  illustrated  your 
country's  annals.  The" turf  that  covers  your  ashes, 
like  the  fields  of  your  early  ancestors,  will  be  forever 
irreen ;  for  it  is  watered  bv  the  tears  of  science,  pa- 
~mtism  and  courage. 


•  • ,  '•-.$  dX  THE  WAfc  1JJ  1'Hfi'  SOt'ttt,        4) 


CHAFTfifi  VI. 


Alii*  good  men"  unite  in  deploring  the  dreadful 
scene*  of  c&rnage  which  we  have  in  the  preceding 
pages  recordedi  An  American  must  rejoice  in  the 
reflection,  that  the  Creeks  mV/oked  the  war,  by  the 
\Vfttttflil  api^sfclmi*  Th«  government  of  th*» 
Itftttii  with  pittrfifti  teflSfffiPSi,  imd  far  * 
ef  years  ktoed  to  reelaiffl  them  from  tht> 
savage  to  th@  eivlll^ed  state ;  the  money  eharitnbly 
espemled  to  obtaifl  this  tolf^ld  ebjoei  m§t  witli 
general  apprabatian,  though  it  must  bea.dii\itt§d,  that 
a  few  had  always  mfthitahietl  the  opifitefl  thattlu^  ft! eft 
^f  eiviliaing  the  savaps  wns  wild  and  chyiiierieal ; 

and  from  «peH»efttt  HMMk  oil  ijKlividupJs  of  difter* 
ent  tribes,  we  are  constrained  reluctantly  to  acknow 
ledge,  that  facts  seem  to  countenance  this  opinion. 
The  Creek  Indians  are  surrounded  by  our  settle 
ments,  and  thereby  have  enjoyed  opportunities  of 
mixing  with,  and  (if  Nature's  God  had  not  placed 
obstacles  in  the  way)  acquiring  a  fondness  for  civilized 
life.  The  American  government  had  invariably  pun 
ished  all  aggression  on  their  territory,  and  the  secu 
rity  of  their  persons  and  property  was  thought  an 
object  of  the  first  magnitude.  From  the  commence 
ment  of  General  Washington's  administration,  down 
to  the  attack  on  Fort  Mimms,  these  aborigines  could 
complain  with  truth  of  no  injuries  unredressed.  The 
prospects  of  civilizing  them,  are  now,  alas  !  obscured, 
perhaps  annihilated,  by  an  act  the  most  wanton  and 
barbarous  that  it  has  fallen  te  the  lot  of  history  to 
record. 


£4        NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  Itt  THE 

It  is  true.  the  hand  of  retributive  desolation  has 
passed  ov  *  their  jcouu  try ;  but  all  join  in  expressing 
the  same  opinion,  that  it  was  inevitable.  Instead  oi 
new  expenditures,  with  a  vain  hope  of  ameliorating 
the  situation  of  the  Creeks,  and  extending  to  them 
the  comforts,  the  information  and  improvements  of 
polished  life,  these  questions  are  every  where  in  all 
the  political  circles  of  this  great  empire  discussed — 
what  is  to  be  their  destiny  ?  what  must  be  done 
with  them  to  guard  more  effectually  against  future 
eruptions  ? 

Our  reflections  on  this  subject,  will  exclusively 
occupy  this  chapter.  At  the  commencement  of  hos 
tilities  by  the  Creeks,  they  possessed  a  territory  of 
great  extent,  fertile  and  salubrious,  watered  by  many 
bold  and  navigable  rivers,  well  covered  with  the  best 
of  timber  for  architectural  purposes,  and  occasion 
ally  exhibiting  symptoms  of  banks  of  iron  ore.  In 
deed,  the  country  occupied  by  the  Creeks,  is  repre 
sented  as  so  iertile,  and  at  the  same  time  so  extensive, 
as  to  be  capable  of  sustaining  a  population  of  full 
two  mil  'inns.  On  this  great  tract,  the  American  go- 
verrimevit,  with  a  humanity  that  cannot  be  too  much 
extolled,  hud  invariably  prevented  their  citizens  from 
trespassing.  To  the  Creeks  the  greater  part  of  it  was 
useless.  It  is  believed  by  many,  thai,  its  possession 
by  them  was  a,  principal  reason  why  the  efforts  of 
Ihirty  years  to  civilize  them  had  failed.  Before 
their  rupture  with  the  United  States,  their  whole 
population  was  estimated  at  twenty -four  thousand. 
The  most  powerful  agent  in  civilizing  man  is  a  neces 
sity  to  labor.  When  a  man  is  thoroughly  convinced 
that  he  must  exert  all  his  powers,  corporeal  and  men 
tal,  to  live,  then  he  will  acquire,  if  he  did  not  previ 
ously  possess  it,  a  just  idea  of  his  own  rights,  and  a 
due  respect  for  the  rights  of  others.  Ease  and  indo 
lence  is  the  goal  to  which  the  most  persevering  ef 
forts  of  many  in  polished  life  are  principally  direct,- 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAI*  IN  THE  SOUTH.    45 

ed.     The  mariner  who  exposes  himself  to  the  storms 
of  a  troubled  sea,  consoles  himself  with  the  reflec 
tion,  that  the  voyage  he  is  engaged  in  will  be  pros 
perous,  and    that  when  it  is  finished,  the  profits  of 
the  trip  will  make  his  situation  easy  for  life.     Rare 
indeed  is  the  man  who  is  born  to  affluence  seen  ex 
erting  his  faculties  for  the   improvement  of  his  own 
situation   in  life,    or  benefiting  the  condition  of  his 
countrymen  ;  so  rare,  that  we  may  lay  down  the  fore 
going  observation  as  generally  true,  although  honor 
able  exceptions  have  always  existed,  and  will,  be 
yond  a  doubt,  always  continue  to  exist.     If  then  we 
reason  on  the  ground  that  the   minds  of  the  white 
man  and  the  Indian  in  a  state  of  nature  is  precisely 
the   same,  having  the  like  propensities  and  passions, 
and  capable  of  the  like  excesses,  and  when  placed  in 
a  civilized  state  susceptible  of  the  same  noble  and 
generous  emotions,  all  which  is  an  hypothesis    the 
truth  of  which  has  never  been  demonstrated,  it  fol 
lows  as  a  necessary  consequence,  that  as  long  as  the 
Greeks  remain  in  their  present  situation,  having  im 
mense  uncultivated  deserts  around  their  habitations, 
abounding   with   games,    and   inviting  and  alluring 
them  to  the  vagrant  life  of  hunters,  all  the  favors  and 
donations  of  government,  having  in  view  their  civili 
zation,  will  be  thrown  away.     For  the  government  to 
withdraw  their  protection  from  them  altogether,  would 
certainly  be   cruel.     They  are  without  social  know 
ledge  ;  and  they  remain  to  this  day,  strangers  to  the 
precepts   of  the   gospels   of  peace.     Thus   situated, 
they  are  objects  worthy  of  commisseration ;  and  in 
adopting  measures  for  our  future  security,  we  should 
have  an  eye  to  their  happiness.     Fortunately,  the  one 
is  not  at  all  incompatible   with  the  other.     It  seeius 
to  us  that  both  are  objects,. as  respects  the  Creeks, easy 
sf  attainment. 

Matters  should  be  so  contrived,  that  the  various 
tribes  of  which  the  Creek  confederacy  consists,  should 


43    NOTES  ©N  THE  WAR  IK  THE  SOUTH. 

be  completely  separated  from  each  other,  and  at  the 
same  time,  make  them  farmers  fr&m  necessity.  Lay 
oft*  districts  thirty  and  fifty  miles  wide  alternately, 
extending  through  the  territory  they  possess  ;  the 
smaller  ones  to  be  settled  by  the  savages,  the  larger 
traes  to  be  disposed  of  to  the  whites,  as  the  United 
States'  waste  and  unappropriated  lands  are  at  this 
<day.  The  districts  retained  by  the  United  States 
would  speedily  be  settled.  The  strength  ot  the 
savages,  by  being  divided,  would  cease  to  be  for 
midable,  and  the  means  which  foreign  nations  now 
possess  of  arming  them,  and  inciting  them  to  murder 
and  rapine,  would  be  destroyed.  After  paying  ail 
expenses  incident  to  the  foregoing  arrangements,  the 
funds  arising  from  the  sales  of  the  retained  districts* 
it  is  humane  and  just  should  be  laid  out  for  the  bene 
fit  of  the  aborigines.  It  would  supply  them  with  the 
useful  domestic  animals,  the  implements  of  husband 
ry,  and  still  leave  enough  for  further  experiments  to 
spread  among  them  a  knowledge  of  the  gospels  of 
peace.  To  pocket  the  profits  arising  from  the  sales 
of  the  retained  districts,  we  shall  always  protest 
against  as  cruel  and  disgraceful.  We  view  as  equally 
cruel  and  disgraceful,  the  plan-  so  often  mentioned  in 
political  circles,  of  seizing  on  their  country  by  force, 
on  the  ground  that  by  their  treachery  they  have  for 
feited  it,  and  removing  them  beyond  the  Mississippi. 
What!  remove  them  beyond  the  Mississippi  to  be 
come  extinct  in  the  wars  that  will  follow  between 
them  and  their  neighbors,  and  the  tribes  of  savages 
by  whom  they  will  be  environed  !  No,  let  them  occu 
py  the  land  of  their  fathers,  but  let  them  do  it  in. 
peace.  While  we  provide  for  our  own  safety,  let  us 
not  overlook  theirs.  Our  fathers  bequeathed  us  a 
reputation  clouded  by  no  act  of  dishonor.  The  peo 
ple  of  the  present  day,  have  demonstrated  to  the 
world,  that  they  merited  the  legacy,  and  they  will 
nerer  stain  it  by  an  act  of  injustice* 


N«TES  ON  THE  WAR  HI  THE  SOTJTH.         47 


CHAPTER  VII. 


GENERAL  Jackson  had  hitherto  held  a  commis 
sion  in  the  rniiitia  oui}r.  Gen.  Hampton  having  re 
signed,  he  was  in  May,  1814,  appointed  a  brigadier 
in  the  regular  servke,and  bv  brevet  a  major-general. 
An  unfortunate  misunderstanding  having  arisen  be 
tween  Major-General  Win.  H,  Harrison  and  the 
secretary  of  war,  Harrison  resigned,  which  furnished 
the  government  with  a  fair  opportunity  to  bestow  on 
Jackson  new  evidence  of  the  estimation  in  which 
they  held  the  services  of  that  excellent  officer.  Ho 
was  now  appointed  major-general,  and  was  commis 
sioned  along  with  Benjamin  Hawkins,  to  conclude  a? 
treaty  of  peace  with  the  Creek  confederacy.  The 
appointment  of  Hawkins  excited  great  astonishment, 
and  was  denounced  as  impolitic.  It  gave  great  of 
fence  in  Tennessee  and  the  Mississippi  territory. 
It  was  said,  that  the  constant  assurances  of  Col. 
Hawkins,  that  hostilities  were-  not  to  be  apprehend 
ed  from  the  Creeks,  and  that  the  intrigues  of  the 
British  and  northern  Indians  to  excite  them  would 
fail,  lulled  the  gallant  but  unfortunate  Major  Beasley 
into  that  false  security,  from  which  his  general  en 
deavoured  in  vain  to  rouse  him,  and  to  which  himself 
and  his  garrison  subsequently  fell  a  sacrifice.  With 
respect  to  the  merits  of  Hawkins,  we  are  ignorant; 
but  it  must  be  considered,  that  in  his  diplomatic  cha 
racter  with  the  Indians,  he  discovered  no  trait  of 
extraordinary  talents  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  evi 
dent,  that  after  many  years'  residence  among  the 
Creeks,  he  was  profoundly  ignorant  of  the  savag3 


48         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN'  THE  SOUTH. 

character.  Considering  tfie  prejudices  against  Haw 
kins,  surely  he  would  not  have  been  appointed,  but  for 
the  locographical  knowledge  he  had  of  the  Creek  coun 
try,  a  species  of  information,  it  was  perhaps  neces 
sary  for  the  commissioners  to  possess.  His  associa 
tion  with  Gen.  Jackson  caused  the  popular  outcry 
speedily  to  subside,  and  a  general  confidence  in  the 
commissioners  has  succeeded.  In  recording  the  pub 
lic  feelings  on  the  appointment  of  Col.  Hawkins,  it 
may  not  be  amiss  for  us  to  express  our  own.  We 
have  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  patriotism,  firmness 
and  integrity  of  that  gentleman:  further  it  is  not 
necessary  for  us  to  go.  The  treaty  executed  in 
August,  1814,  by  the  commissioners  and  by  the  head 
men  of  the  Creek  confederacy,  has  met  with  pretty 
general  approbation,  and  has  dissipated  in  a  great 
measure,  the  prejudices  which  before  hung  over  Haw 
kins's  character. 

Its  provisions  in  many  respects  have  answered  our 
anticipations  in  the.  preceding  chapter.  In  the  cir 
cumscribed  limits  within  which  they  are  now  con 
fined,  and  the  fine  navigation  of  their  rivers,  we  see 
very  formidable  barriers  to  the  future  intrigues  of 
British  and  Spanish  emissaries.  No  sooner  was  it 
known  that  the  treaty  was  signed,  than  vast  numbers 
of  the  disaffected  savages  retired  loPensacola,  where 
they  were  received  by  the  Spanish  governor  and  en 
couraged  in  their  hostile  temper  towards  the  United 
Stages.  The  interest  which  the  Spanish  functiona 
ries  felt  in  favor  of  the  savages,  was  indeed  mani 
fested  at  the  commencement  of  hostilities.  Arms 
and  ammunition  in  abundance,  in  every  stage  of  the 
conflict,  through  which  they  had  now  passed,  had  been 
from  time  to  time  furnished  them.  A  body  of  British 
troops,  about  two  hundred  in  number,  officers  and 
men,  having  landed  in  Pensacola,  the  fugitive  Creeks 
to  the  number  of  full  three  hundred,  were  permitted 
to  be  incorporated  with  them,  armed  with  new 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAft  IN  THE  SOUTH,        «*9 

jTiuikets  and  dressed  in  English  uniform.  T!ic  know-- 
ledge  of  this  military  preparation  in  Petisacola  ex 
cited  general  alarm  through  the  American  settle 
ments  it  its  vicinity.  And  some  great  stroke  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy  and  his  allies*  perhaps  in  con 
junction  with  rhc  Spaniards,  \vaa  every  where  anti 
cipated.  An  attack  on  New  Orleans  had  long  been 
expected.  Win.  C.  C.  Claiborne,  governor  of  the 
state  of  Louisiana,  with  an  eye  to  that  event,  had 
urged  the  government  of  the  United  Siates  to  adopt 
measures  for  its  security.  Fortunately,  this  vigilant 
and  able  statesman  did  not  content  himself  with  sim 
ply  calling  on  HevcuU's  fur  holp  ;  IK*  had  put  hi  a 
ihould&  to  the  wheel  and  had  dona  every  thing  in 
his  power  to  ba  prepared  lor  the  day  of  trial.  It  wan 
known  about  this  time,  that  an  immense  armament 
had  been  collecting  in  Kir^lam!  and  Ireland,  defined 
for  America,  and  that  Lord  Hill,  an  officer  who  had 
fought  with  distinguished  reputation  in  the  peninsula 
of  Europe,  wa*  designated  to  command  it. 

The  magnitude  of  the  armament,  the  fall  season  of 
the  year  when  they  were  expected  to  sail,  the  recent 
pacification  in  Europe,  the  nature  of  the  population 
of  New  Orleans  being  mostly  French  or  the  dc>- 
iidants  of  French,  the  amazing  wealth  of  this 
city,  the  effect  its  occupation  would  have  on  the 
western  states,  and  comments  which  had  frequently 
appeared  in  the  London  Courier  pointing  out  the  im 
portance  of  this  place,  contributed  to  satisfy  the 
public  mind,  that  this  great  emporium  of  western 
and  south-western  wealth  had  become  an  object  of 
British  ambition.  As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  the 
enemy  had  appeared  in  Pensacola,  the  governor  of 
Louisiana  informed  the  government  thereof,  and 
admonished  them  that  in  it  was  seen,  in  the  chrysalis 
vtate,  the  expedition  against  New  Orleans.  'Gen. 
Jackson  viewed  matters  in  the  same  light,  and  has 
tened  to  Mobile,  there  to  adopt  such  measnvci  as 


30        NOTES  ON  THE  WAH  IN  THE 

circumstances  might  require.  He  concentrated  the 
forces  nt  that  time  spread  through  the  adjacent  coun 
try,  n.nd  dispatched  an  officer  to  Tennessee,  to  hasten 
on  the  march  of  new  levies  from  that  state.  While 
these  operations  on  the  part  of  the  Americana  were 
going  on,  the  propriety  of  them  was  evinced  by  the 
arrival  of  a  British  squadron,  under  the  direction  oi* 
an  Irishman  of  the  name  of  Nichols,  a  man  of  deso* 
lute  morals,  who  was  received  with  open  arms  by  the 
governor  of  Fensacola*  The  first  moment  after  hia 
arrival  was  devoted  to  an  effort  to  bring  to  the 
Standard  of  his  master  all  the  traitors  and  &coun* 
drulg  in  the  country.  ll&  Issued  ft  proclamation,  iii 
which  he  reviled  the  American  government,  demmne* 
*>d  them  a§  under  the  influence  of  France  at  th§ 
time  they  went  to  war  with  Great  Britain,  and- in 
the  name  of  hia  majesty  ami  loving  master,  offered 
in  high  style  tha  protection  of  his  most  potent  arm 
to  £$eh  state  or  states  o#  choose  to  throw  oft' the  au 
thority  of  the  federal  government.  With  the  ixcep- 
tion  of  a  few  negroes  "and  Indians,  no  one  was  fie- 
daced  by  his  proclamation.  His  surprise  was  visible 
to  all  who  surrounded  him,  at  finding  that  his  pro 
clamation  was  so  totally  disregarded  ;  that  no  effort 
was  made  to  suppress  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  was 
inserted  in  the  American  papers,  but  to  be  ridiculed, 
and  himself  to  be  despised. 

On  the  twelfth  of  September,  1814,  Nichols 
appeared  before  Fort  Bowyer,  with  a  considerable 
force  of  British,  Indians  and  Spaniards;  and  a 
squadron  of  ships  hove  in  sight  on  the  morning  of  the 
same  day.  Until  the  fifteenth,  the  British  command 
er  was  busjed  in  preparatory  steps.  On  that  day,  with 
the  claw  rungs  of  light,  he  opened  his  batteries,  and 
the  squadron  moved  up  in  front  of  the  fort  and  com 
menced  firing  into  it.  The  formidable  force  by 
which  the  fort  was  attacked,  had  no  effect  on  the 
gallant  Lawrence  who  commanded,  or  upon  his 


JjOT-ES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTjH.         51 

brave  troops,  The  fire  from  the  fort  was  so  animated 
Slid  so  well  directed,  that  it  bore  away  the  flag  from 
the  mast  head  of  their  largest  ship,  and  set  tire  to 
the  Hermes,  which  being  abandoned  by  the  crew, 
goon  after  exploded*  On  the  land  side,  the  enemy 
were  handled  with  such  severity,  that  the  Spaniards 
and  Indians  30011  fled,  and  the  fleet  reiiri'!^  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  guns  from  the  fort,  Nichols  followed 
the  example  set  him  by  hi?  comrades  and  Owl  back  to 
perpecoia,  The  IPRS  sustained  by  the  Jissaiiunts,  as 
may  well  be  supposed,  was  heavV-  —  its  real  amount 
was  studiously  concealed  by  them,  I:i  the  number 
of  their  wounded  was  Nichols,  who  lo»t  an  eye.  It 
is  tlio  policy  of  the  American  govermJic-nt  neither 
to  conceal  tfieir  losses  or  to  exaggerate  thoir  vicTv'ries; 
ihe  ofucial  report  of  their  commanders  are  there- 
lore  invariably  published  without  beiii£  garbled, 
Th&re  is  one  advantage  that  attends  this  course  ; 
the  people  evory  where  read  papers,  sluaiped  with 
the  seal  of  public  authority,  and  cenftdc  in  them, 
The  people  in  the  large  towns,  were  in  ilu*  habit  from 
thf*  commencement  of  the  war,  of  collecting  in 
large  numbers  at  the  post  offices  of  post  nights  ;  if 
jiny  important  news  was  in  the  papers,  a  reader  of 
goad  voice  was  selected,  and  being  furnished  with 
\\  candje,  it  was  read  to  the  crowd,  I  well  renvjsn- 
|>er  when  the  news  of  the  defeat  of  Nkhok  wa- 
ip  the  multitude,  who  that  night  thronged  tr,;1  nti'eot 
m  front  of  tbq  post  office,  in  ih->  citj  of  Riolu.vjml; 
tho  air  resounded  with  Reclamation^  i\i  j.>\\  :Tn^ 
rtncmy  had  an  immense  superiorirv  of  hoavy  gunst 
and  at  least  tVjiu-  tiuit-rtthe  nuii-b-M-  of  naen,,  TOe  furt 
ir:u  v«"a?5  bur  illy  constructed,  and  a  «Siort  ilms  before 
Vimost  in  vulna^  in((ood,  an  onlei'  had  l^erii  but  lately 
given.  t«j  repair  it,  which  was  not  yei  Tvu!!y  cauiplied 
How  v/ondt-rful  then  :  Sir  the  defeat 


it  ' 


52          NOTES  ON  THE  AVAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

The  defence  of  Fort  Bowyer  has  given  celebrity 
to  the  hero  who  commandecl  it,  anil  will  transmit 
with  renown  his  name  to  posterity.  The  American 
commanders  had  heretofore  repeatedly  advised  their 
povernftififtt  of  the  hostile  acts  of  the  Spaniards  of 
Pensacola,  and  had  even  urged  the  necessity  of  seiz 
ing  and  holding  it  during  the  war.  The  American 
government  nut  willing  at  this  time  to  add  to  the 
number  of  their  enemies,  had  declined  to  give  per 
mission  to  their  oflicers  to  take  any  hostile  step  to 
wards  the  Spaniards.  Gen.  Jackson,  however,  conclud 
ed,  and  very  properly,  that  his  country  would  riot  suf 
fer  the  outrage  they  had  now  participated  in,  to  wit: 
the  attack  on  Fort  Bowyer,  and  the  shelter  they  af 
forded  to  the  British  with  impunity.  Gen.  Coft'ee 
having  arrived  with  the  new  levies  from  the  upland 
country,  without  waiting  for  orders  from  Washing 
ton,  Jackson,  on  his  own  responsibility,  determined 
or,  attacking  Pehtacola,  without  delay:  pushing  for 
ward  with  great  celerity,  he  attacked' and  carried  it 
with  great  ease,  but  not  until  he  had  previously  ad- 
vised  the  Spanish  governor  that  his  object  was  to  pro 
tect.  the  neutrality  of  the  province  of  Pensar.ola,  by 
the  expulsion  of  the  British,  and  to  hold  it  only  until 
the  Spanish  court  would  furnish  a  force  sufficient  to 
garrisun  irs  r>ml  prevent  its  fulling  into  the  hands  of  a, 
ncople  \vlso  in*  considered  as  acting  a  part  likely  to 
Involve  hU  exc.f.ildiicy  in  very  serious  difficulties.  To 
;il I  ihc  propositions  of  the,  American  commander,  the 
Hoaninh  guvernoi1  finally  acceded,  but  with  jesuisticut 
duplicy  in  his  heart;  at  the  same  time,  he  subsequent- 
iv  allyVviHi  (he  principal  fort,  to  wit ;  the  Barancas,  to 
ae  blown  up,  by  which  means  the  British  escaped  out 
•  •\  the  bay;  hi  which,  otherwise,  they  would  have  been 
penned  up,  and  la  all  human  pt-obahility  might  have 
?}ef>n  captured  «r  destroyeid, 

Tho    j»r:rir.ipdl   fort,   beif.g  dcstroyri]  ;  the  British. 
;ur-'ni.'-:  K-trotttiv]  •  and  tho  Indians,  who  had 


NSTES  «N  THE  WAR  W  THE  SOUTH.         & 

rendezvoused  at  Pcnsacola,  having  fled  back  to  their 
deserts.  In  Sue,  the  gieat  object  of  the  expedition 
beiug  attained,  he  parted  with  the  Spanish  governor, 
havi  -.ig  ;;revious!y  intei  changed  promises  of  lasting 
friendship,  and  returned  to  Mobile.  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Wi.iches^er  having  arrived  at  Mobile,  Jackson 
devolved  on  him  the  command  of  that  port  and  its 
dependencies,  and  repaired  to  New  Orleans,  at  which 
place  he  arrived  on  the  first  day  of  December,  1814. 
On  tnis  new  theatre  we  shall  soon  see  him  surrounded 
by  Druve,  patriotic  and  intelligent  cotmsellers,  lead 
ing  to  ba  ie  and  to  victory  a  gallant  and  deserving 
ar.iv,  and  by  deeds  of  generalship  and  valor  trans 
mitting  hi&  name  decked  with  lanrels  to  all  future 
ages.  Previous  to  his  leaving  Mobile  he  had  opened 
a  correspondence  with  the  govoinor  of  Louisiana, 
who  had  given  him  a  great  deal  of  information  with 
respect  to  the  situation  of  New  Orleans,  the  routes 
by  which  it  might  be  aj.prtv.ched,  and  the  probable 
feelings  of  the  local  population,  in  tue  event  of  the 
threatened  invasion  taking  place.  The  governor  had 
earnestly  entreated  him  to  press  on  to  New  Orleans, 
to  concert  proper  measures  for  defence,  and  expli 
citly  stated,  that  a  policy  in  the  smallest  degiee  tem 
porising  would  not  do;  as  for  himself,  the  governor 
declared  he  was  prepared  to  exert  his  authority,  to 
save  the  city  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
On  the  arrival  of  Jackson  at  New  Orleans,  the  des 
pondency  which  had  seized  on  many,  was  dissipated 
by  the  energetic  course  he  pursued.  The  governor 
recommended  an  embargo  to  the  legislature,  which, 
was  enacted  without  delay,  to  prevent  the  enemy, 
who  appeared  off  the  coast  in  great  force,  about  tlie 
sixth  of  December,  1814,  from  being  fed  by  traitors 
who  lurk  in  all  large  towns,  regardless  of  everything 
save  personal  aggrandisement. 

The  force  Jackson  now  had  to  rely  on  for  the  de 
fence  of  this  great  city,  was  about  six  hundred  regu- 


54  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH, 

lars  ;  Daquin's  battalion  of  coloured  people  lately 
organized  by  the  governor,  the  city  volunteers  and 
local  militia.  Gen.  Coftbe  was  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Baton  Rouge,  with  about  one  thousand  of  his 
far-famed  rifleman,  whither  he  had  been  directed  to 
repair  and  await  orders ;  and  Col.  Hinds,  with  the 
Mississippi  dragoons  was  equally  distant :  orders  had 
been  given  for  assembling  a  considerable  force  in 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  but  where  they  were  WHS 
not  known.  While  things  stood  thus,  an  immense 
"armament  suddenly  appeared  oil"  Cat  Island,  but  a 
Jittle  way  from  the  American  lines ;  expresses  were 
now  sent  off  with  orders  to  Coffee  arid  Hinds,  to  push 
forward  to  New  Orleans  with  all  speed  ;  and  likewise 
up  the  river  to  hasten  the  advance  of  the  new 
levies  from  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  The  zeal  with 
•which  these  orders  were  complied  with  entitle  the 
respective  officers  to  the  utmost  praise.  Coffee  en 
camped  four  miles  above  the  city,  having  advanced 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  two  days.  Hinds, 
with  his  dragoons  was  equally  expeditious,  in  four 
days  he  marched  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles. 
The  new  levies  spoken  of  above,  were  yet  a  great 
way  off,  but  on  receiving  the  orders  ot  Gen.  Jackson, 
they  advanced  with  renewed  /.eal,  and  luckily  ar 
rived  in  due  time  to  participate  in  the  great  scenes 
which  soon  followed.  The  local  government  of  Lou 
isiana  now  called  out  the  militia  of  the  state  en  masse. 
Governor  Claiborne  had  observed  that  a  considerable 
number  of  seamen  of  various  nations  were  strolling 
about  the  streets  of  New  Orleans  unemployed;  theie 
he  determined  to  make  useful  :  he  conferred  on  Mr. 
Tompson,  a  young  man  of  great  teaming,  who  spoke 
most  of  the  languages  of  Europe,  a  captain's  com 
mission,  and  directed  him  to  press  into  the  service, 
all  seamen,  without  regard  to  the  country  to  which 
they  belonged,  arid  to  place  himself  and  them  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Jackson  and  Com.  Patterson. 


*OTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOL' Til.          Jp 

In  a  few  days  Tompson  had  collected  and  reduced 
to  order  a  considerable  number  of  seamen,  Italians, 
.Spaniards  French,  Portuguese,  &c.  who  subsequent 
ly  behaved  v/ell  ami  were  of  great  service.  White 
these  energetic  steps  were  going  on,  Gen.  Jackson 
proclaimed  martial  law,  a  measure  that  had  been 
previously  advised  by  Gov.  Claiborne. 

That  this  last  mentioned  measure  was  taken  with 
the  approbation  of  the  governor,  I  have  heard  fre 
quently  denied.  That  the  measure,  right  or  wrong, 
may  be  well  understood,  and  if  praise  belongs  to  it, 
that  that  praise  may  be  bestowed  on  all  who  partici 
pated  ia  it,  I  will  here  insert  an  extract  from  one  of 
the  governor's  letters  to  G  .1.  Jackson  : — "  Enemies," 
says  the  governor,  "  to  the  country,  may  blame  your 
prompt  and  energetic  measures,  but  in  the  person  of 
every  patriot  you  will  find  a  supporter.  1  think,  with 
you,  our  country  is  filled  with  traitors  and  spies." 
In  the  same  communication,  he  states  "  that  the 
police  of  our  cities  is  too  loose,  and  that  strangers 
should  not  enter  and  depart  at  pleasure."  Of  the 
naval  force  under  Com.  Patterson,  five  gun  boats 
were  stationed  on  Lake  Borgne,  under  Lieut.  Jones, 
an  officer  of  great  merit.  Jones  had  from  time  to 
time  understood  that  the  enemy  were  daily  receiving 
additional  reinforcements,  and  being  satisfied  in  his 
own  mind,  that  the  position  he  then  occupied  was 
not  ?.  proper  one,  he  resolved  to  retreat  to  the  ilegolets, 
at  which  place  there  was  erected  the  fort  of  Petit 
Coquette,  commanded  by  Capt.  Newman.  Arrived 
at  this  spot,  his  determination  was  to  resist,  to  the 
last  extremity,  any  force  that  might  come  against  him: 
with  this  object  in  view,  he  attempted  hi  v^i'i  to  reach 
the  Regolets,  the  winds  bum;?.;  a  '•  • 
anticipating  his  olvji'ct,  had  .  v.  ith 

barges,  and  on  the  fourteenth  he  was   compelled  to 
come  to  action.     The  BritUk  forc< 
three  boats,  mounting  forty  -three  guns,  and  having  on 


56         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  S8UTH, 

board  full  fourteen  hundred  men.  On  the  part  of  the 
Americans  were  five  boats,  one  hundred  and  ninety 
men,  and  twenty-three  guns.  This  disparity  .of 
force,  of  which  the  enemy  were  apprised,  induced 
them  to  anticipate  an  easy  conquest.  The  American 
line  being  formed  to  receive  the  enemy,  now  waited 
their  approach  ;  about  twelve  the  action  commenced, 
and  in  a  short  time  every  part  of  the  American  line 
was  warmly  engaged:  the  battle  had  lasted  but  a 
short  time,  before  two  of  the  enemy's  boats  being  in. 
advance  of  the  others,  attempted  to  board  the  boat 
commanded  by  Jones  ;  one  of  them,  having  one  hun 
dred  men  on  board  at  the  time,  was  sunk,  and  the 
other  beaten  oft',  after  sustaining  great  loss,  particu 
larly  in  officers.  Jones  being  severely  wounded, was 
constrained  to  leave  the  deck,  whereupon  the  com 
mand  devolved  on  Lieut.  Parker,  who  displayed  all 
that  courage  which  is  the  uniform  property  of  an 
American  seaman,  nor  did  he  strike  his  flag  until 
it  was  apparent  that  further  resistance  would  be  mad 
ness  and  folly.  If  additional  evidence  were  request 
ed  to  shew  the  superiority  of  the  American  to  the 
British  seamen,  this  action  in  the  superior  mischief 
done  the  enemy  would  surely  prove  it.  The  Ameri 
can  loss  was  six  killed  and  thirty-five  wounded,  the 
residue  surrendered;  that  of  the  enemy  was  ascer 
tained  to  be  full  three  hundred  in  killed  and  wound 
ed.  Among  the  American  wounded  was  Jones  and 
Lieutenants  Speclder  and  M'Ever:  Lieutenants  Ul- 
rick  and  Deferres,  who  each  commanded  a  boat, 
escaped  unhurt,  but  were  equally  exposed  to  danger, 
and  behaved  with  a  gallantry  that  has  secured  to  them 
the  respect  of  their  countrymen  and  a  bright  page  in 
the  naval  annals  of  the  United  States.  In  this 
action  the  Americans  sustained  a  great  loss  by  the 
capture  of  the  gun  boats,  and  the  British  obtained 
the  uncontrouled  command  of  Lake  Borgne,  where 
by  a  variety  of  places  were  thrown  open  at  which 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    57 

they  miijhi  land.  In  the  American  camp  justice  was 
done  to  the  bravery  of  Jones  and  his  comrades,  at 
t'h-'  s;ime  time,  that  the  advantages  the  enemy  had 
acquired  were  seen  and  acknowledged.  Instead  of 
being  borne  down  by  the  •unnuwicions  opening  of  the 
enemy's  demonstrations  0:1  New  Orleans,  Jackson 
seemed  to  acquire  daily  additional  confidence  in  the 
success  of  the  defence  he  was  soon  to  make,  and  he 
contrived  to  make  the  people  at  large  believe  that  he 
himself  was  a  host,  and  that  the  troops  he  command 
ed  were  not  ami  could  not  be  beaten.  This  impres 
sion  was  not  confined  to  the  men  ;  it  had  taken  a 
strong  hold  among  the  ladies  of  New  Orleans,  who 
saw  in  him  and  his  gallant  associates^  a  guarantee 
the  dreadful  scenes  which  had  been  exhibited 


at  Hampton  and  at  other  places  in  Virginia.  The 
fortunate  arrival  at  this  time  of  Major-General  Car 
roll,  with  the  new  levies  from  Tennessee,  and  the 
knowledge  which  soon  becamq  general,  that  the 
Kentucky  troops  might  hourly  be  looked  for,  having 
in  command  among  them  Gen.  John  Aclair,  an  officer 
of  many  of  the  like  traits  of  character  with  Jackson: 
courage  mounting,  when  occasion  required,  to  despe 
ration  ;  yet  allied  with  a  coolness  which  could  look 
at  death  without  reflecting  on  the  agonies  which  it 
brings  along  with  it  ;  and  a  mind  so  gigantic,  and  at 
the  same  time  so  minute,  that  while  it  sees  the 
greatest  and  most  desirable  objects  at  an  immense 
distance,  cool)  v  and  with  arithmetical  certainty  calcu 
lates  the  details  by  which  they  may  be  attained  —  dis 
sipated  the  last  doubt  with  respect  to  the  success  of 
the  anticipated  defence.  Along  with  Gen.  Carroll 
came  a  small  supply  of  arms,  which  had  been  sent 
on  by  order  of  tiie  general  government.  M.  Girod, 
mayor  of  New  Orleans,  had  been  applied  to  by  the 
governor,  to  procure  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  all  the 
arms  and  ammunition  in  the  city,  and  by  his  activity 
l«iv-ge  *apn  lies  had  been  procured.  On  the  twenty- 


SS    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

third  of  December,  the  drums  beat  to  arms:  the  ene 
my  had  landed  about  sixteen  miles  from  the  city,   at 
Bien  Venn,  and  were  already  in  possession  of  Gen. 
Villere's  plantation,  where  they  had  surprised  and 
captured  a  company  of  militia.     As  soon  as  this  in 
formation  reached  Gen  Jackson,  he  resolved  to  attack 
them  forthwith :  but  fears  being  entertained  that  pos 
sibly  the  enemy  had  landed  at  Bien  Venu  to  draw  the 
American  force  below,  to  give  an  opportunity  to  land 
elsewhere,    and   ivach   the    city    by   another  route, 
Governor  Claibornc,  with  Labatsit's  brigade  of  Lou 
isiana  militia    and    M  :j.    Gen.   Carroll's     division, 
were  directed  to  take  post  on  the  Geiiiiile  road,  to 
observe  occurrences  and,  act  as  events  might  justify. 
This  position  the  governor  occupied  throughout  the 
siege,  from   which  the  troops  he  commanded  might 
easily  be  commanded   to  the  suburb  Marigne,   and 
become  a   reserve  corps;  and    had  Jackson's  lines 
been  forced  on  the  eighth   of  January,  the  division 
commanded  by  the  governor  must  also  have    been 
routed  before  the  enemy  reached  the   c'\-y.       Th 
necessary  precaution    being    taken,    Jackson,    with 
Coffee's  brigade  and  Daquin's  battalion,  the  regular 
troops,   advanced   on  the  enemy ;  at  the  same  time 
the    companies    of    Louisiana  troops,    under  Capts. 
Roche,    St.   Geme,    Huday,    White,    Guibert,    and 
Beale,  under  Major  Plan^he,    at   Bayou    St.  John, 
inarched  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  to  the  plains 
of  Villere,  to  encounter  the  foe.     Com.  Patterson,  by 
direction  of  Gen.  Jackson,  dropped  down  the  river 
and  opened  the  batteries  of  the   Caroline  upon  the 
British  lines.     It  was  now  dark,  but  the  fires  along 
the  enemy's  lines  shewed  clearly  the  position  they 
occupied,  and  enabled  the  Americans  to  adopt  their 
measures    accordingly.     Coffee,    with    his    brigade, 
Hind's   dragoons,    and    the  New  Orleans    riflemen 
trader  Capt.  Beale,  advanced  on  the  enemy's  right 
wing:  Major  Planche  with  the  New  Orleans  volun- 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    59 

teers,  Daquin's  corps  of  coloured  troops  and  the 
regulars,  led  on  by  Jackson  in  person,  moved  on 
the  enemy's  left.  The  enemy  were  thrown  into  con 
fusion  by  the  uofexpecteifeess  yi  the  attack.  It  is 
well  understood  at  this  time  -hey  expected  little  or 
no  opposition.  Recovering  from  the  surpi  ise  which 
the  crape  and  cunnister  shot  from  the  Caroline  had 
engendered,  they  were  directing  an  animated  re 
sistance  to  the  Caroline,  when  Coffee's  command 
having:  penetrated  within  the  line  of  centiuels,  opened 
a  destructive  fire  along  their  right  wing.  The  enemy 
admonished  cf  the  efficacy  of  the  troops  by  whom 
they  were  assailed,  by  the  number  who  were  constant 
ly  falling  from  the  fire,  more  particularly  of  our 
riflemen,  fell  back  with  some  precipitation :  they 
were  already  beaten,  and  but  for  the  superiority  of 


their  discipline,  must  have  been  completely  cut  up. 
The  right  wing  of  the  American  army  came  into  ac 
tion  about  the  time  that  the  enemy  were  receding 
from  the  fire  of  Coffee's  line  ;  here  the  resistance 
was  much  more  obstinate ;  Daquin's  coloured  troops 
v.  particularly  pressed  by  a  vast  superiority  of 
force,  and  returned  the  fire  of  the  enemy  with  a  viva 
city  that,  attracted  the  eye  of  the  commanding  gene 
ral,  and  the  admiration  of  their  comrades.  The 
regular  troops  and  Planche's  volunteers  being  brought 
into  line,  Daquin  was  in  a  measure  relieved,  and  the 
contest  becoming  more  equal,  the  enemy's  left  wing 
likewise  receded.  The  darkness  increasing,  and  the 
repulse  of  different  parts  of  the  enemy's  lines  taking 
place  at  different  times,  disorder  was  early  intro 
duced,  and  both  armies  now  fought  in  considerable 
confusion.  While  the  battle  was  going  on,  the  ene 
my  were  constantly  receiving  reinforcements,  which 
we.-e  formed  in  the  rear  as  fast  as  they  arrived,  and 
pushed  forward  with  all  imaginable  haste.  Notwith 
standing  this,  the  American  troops  felt  their  way 
to  every  part  of  the  British  lines',  and  the  enemy 


6Ci          NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

after  a  brave  resistance  were  again  compelled  to 
retreat.  The  tide  was  now  running  strongly  ia  favor 
of  the  Americans,  and  Slopes  were  indulged  that  the 
British  would  be  constrained  to  surrender,  when 
suddenly  a  dense  fog  arose  which  put  a  stop  to  th; 
combat.  The  American  commander  now  concentrat 
ed  his  lines,  and  foiling  back  to  the  ground  which  tha 
British  occupied  at  the  coimnenceriient  of  the  battle, 
he  determined  on  waiting  the  approach  of  day  to 
enable  him  to  renew  the  action  :  subsequently  tin*. 
general  changed  his  mind  and  retired  to  M'Carty's, 
where  he  established  himself. 

In  no  action  fought  during  the  second  war  between 
(•Treat  Britain  and  the  United  States  did  the  Ameri 
can  troops  behave  more  bravely  than  they  did  in  this  : 
in  fine,  tew  troops  ever  behaved  as  well ;  and  none, 
.  however  long;  dedicated  to  war,  ever  acted  better. 
Every  man  seemed  to  act  as  if  the  fate  of  New  Or 
leans  depended  on  his  conduct,  and  fired  by  the 
pride  of  valor  and  the  love  of  country,  exhibited 
prodigies  of  courage.  When  the  action  first  com 
menced,  Coilee  is  reported  to  have  passed  along  the 
line  exclaiming  "  You  have  said  you  could  light,  now 
prove  it."  They  did  prove  it  to  their  enemies  and 
to  the  world  ;  if  the  glorious  deeds  of  our  revolution 
ary  fathers  were  forgot;  if  the  battles  at  Erie,  at 
Piatlsburg,  Chippewa,  at  the  classic  heights  of 
Niagara,  and  numberless  other  places,  had  never  taken 
place;  this  en  the  plains  of  Villere,  would  of  itself 
shew,  that  the  United  States  can  boast  of  a  popula- 
lation  possessing  the  faculty  of  fighting,,  to  a  degree 
beyond  the  lot  of  most  nations  :  whether-  this  arises 
from  the  nature  of  our  climate,  the  ea^c  and  inde 
pendence  of  circumstances  which  our  people  enjoy, 
or  the  freedom  of  our  political  institutions,  which 
elevate  our  sentiments,  is  not  material  to  determine. 
The  fact  is  as  w«  have  stated  it,  and  history  will 
prove  it.  \Vhat  was  the  prize  for  which' the  com- 


30TES  ON  THE  WAR  *N  THE  SOUTH.          oJL 

batants  contended  on  the  plains  of  Viilere  ?  It  was 
the  city  of  New  Orleans,  the  capital  of  the  state  of 
Louisiana ;  and  we  might  ask,  what  city  in  Europe 
was  ever  defended  successfully  by  an  undisciplined 
militia?  None;  no,  not  one.  The  battle  of  Jena 
opened  the  gates  of  Berlin  to  the  French,  and  the 
regular  force  destroyed,  the  Prussian  monarchy  was 
at  the  mercy  of  the 'great  Napoleon.  Passing  over  the 
battles  of  Waeram  and  Austrelitz,  arid  the  conse 
quences  that  followed  them,  we  find  that  Paris,  (their 
regular  army  being  cut  up)  opened  its  gates  without 
a  blow  to  enemies  the  French  had  before  frequently 
humbled.  In  England  the  regular  force  kept  Charles 
on  the  throne  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  the 
people,  and  when  thny  deserted  him  his  power  paseed 
away  and  himself  was  brought  to  the  block.  Crom 
well  overturned  the  liberties  of  his  country  the  mo 
ment  he  secured  the  army;  and  Richard,  the  most 
amiable  and  the  best  of  men,  \vas  by  the  help  of  the 
army,  set  aside,  and  Charles  II.  the  most  worth 
less  of  the  worthless  house  of  Stewart,  raised  to  the 
throne.  James  kept  the  throne  while  the  army  was 
faithful,  but  the  cunning  Dutchman  having  secured 
the  regular  force,  easily  displaced  him,  although  it 
was  notorious,  that  his  party  was  equally  as  numer 
ous  as  that  of  his  rival.  Whence  does  this  arise  ? 
The  question  is  easy  of  solution.  In  Europe  the 
soil  is  the  property  of  the  privileged  classes  ;  the 
government  is  principally  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  govern.  Not  so  in  the  United  States :  the  soil 
here  is  pretty  equally  divided  :  it  may  be  said  em 
phatically  to  belong  to  the  peoples  and  the  govern 
ment  is' public  property,  for  every  man  of  virtue  and 
'talents  may  aspire  to  the  highest  offices.  In  America 
every  man  has  a  home  and  a  government  to  defend. 
We  venture  to  augur,  that  so  long  as  our  government 
is  free,  a  well  armed  militia  is  our  surest  and  oui 
best  defence.  In  the  battle  of  Bien  Yenu  the  Ame> 


<33         NGtES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTK 

ricaa  general  brought  into  {\n*  field  two  thousand 
troops  :  it  was  commenced  on  the  part  of  the  enemy 
with  fall  three  thousand,  and  before  it  terminated 
their  force  was  doubled  ;  the  action  lasted  au  hour, 
and  when  it  terminated,  the  foe  had  been  driven  to 
take  shelter  under  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  served 
•as  a  breastwork.  The  American  loss  was  thirty  in  killed ; 
one  hundred  aud  fifteen  wounded,  and  seventy -four 
made  prisoners,  The  British  admitted  an  equal  loss 
in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners:  of  course  it  is 
'behaved  to  have  been  much  greater.  When  the  result 
"of  this  action  was  known  in  the  city,  which  of  course 
'was  the  case  in  a  few  hours,  a  scene  was  exhibited 
which  every  patriot  will  remember  with  pleasure-: 
all  was  bustle  in  hurrying  oft"  necessaries  to  the 
wounded,  "  that  sex  w'aose  smiles  soften  the  misfor 
tunes  of  life,  and  whose  charms  heighten  the  enjoy 
ments  of  freedom,"  took  the  lead  in  this  honorable 
measure  ;  they  had  before  clothed  the  .soldiers  ;  they 
now  furnished  the  hospital  department  with  lint» 
linen,  wines,  &c.  for  the  use  of  the  sick  and  wo'-. rul 
ed.  These  acts  of  benevolence  were  not  confined  to 
the  Louisiana  troops,  they  were  extended  to  ail  :-ie 
defenders  of  the  country,  und  in  so  polite  and  iV el- 
ing  a  manner  that  a  Tcnncssean,  in  telling  me 
some  time  since,  of  the  obligations  he  was  under  to 
the  citizens  of  New  Orleans,  for  clothing  furnished 
him  and  others,  hud  his  generous  heart  so  over 
powered  by  the  "jrateful  recollection,  that  he  could 
not  refrain  frotn  tears. 

In  the  action  of  the  twenty-third,  the  Americans 
had  to  deplore  the  loss  of  Col.  JLauderdale,  of  Coffee's 
brigade  ;  he  had  seen  much  service,  was  young,  ar 
dent  and  intelligent,  and  highly  esteemed;  also  Li -rut: 
M'Lelland,  of  the  regular"  troops  :  they  fell  wl  ere 
they  fought,  and  are  entitled  to  the  gratitude  of  tleir 
country.  From  the  twenty -third  to  the  twenty -sixth 
i>f  December,  the  enemy  was  engaged  in  getting  can- 


ES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.          68 


Bon,  ammunition  and  other  things  necessary  for  au 
invading  army  iVosi?  their  sliippirig  ;  in  the  interim, 
they  had  received  reinforcements  to  a  great  amount. 
Sir  Edward  Pakenham  having  arrived,  took  the  com 
mand  in  chief;  their  force  was  now  estimated  at  fii- 
teen  thousand  men  ;  among:  the  major-generals  who 
commanded  divisions,  was  Keene,  who  commanded 
on  the  twenty  -third,  Gihbs  and  Lambert  :  the  two 
last  had  not  yet  arrived,  but  were  expected  in  a  short 
lime.  Pakenham  was  Lord  Wellington's  brother- 
in-law,  and  had  served  along  witii  his  assistants. 
abovenamed,  under  that  celebrated  soldier.  The 
greater  part  of  the  British  troops  were  from  Spain. 
After  tho  twenty-third,  Jackson  was  cn^a^eti  without  a 
moment's  intermission,  in  fortifying  the  ground  to 
\vhich  he  had  retired.  This  position  is  the  most 
favorable  that  the  country  admits  of.  The  swamp 
here  approaches  within  three  quarters  or  less  of  a 
mile  of  the  river,  the  soil  sandy  and  light.  and  de 
scending  from  the  river  to  the  swamp,  ditches  might 
be  facilitated  by  letting  in  the  river  water,  \\hich  v  as 
then  high.  Already  the  works  had  become  formidable. 
The  Caroline,  after  the  battle  of  the  twenty-third, 
had  been  taken  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and 
had  there  remained  ever  since.  On  the  twenty- 
seventh,  at  day-break,  a  battery  which  hud  been 
prepared  in  the  night,  with  heavy  cannon,  threw  on 
her  a  number  of  red-hot  shot.  "  Capt.  Henley,  who 
now  commanded,  returned  the  fire  with  spirit,  but 
finding  that  to  remain  any  longer  in  his  present  si 
tuation,  would  be  destructive  not  only  to  the  vessel 
but  the  crew  also,  attempted  ineffectually  ,to  force 
her  up  the  river  opposite  the  American  line.  A  shot 
had  already  fired  her,  and  the  flame  was  gaining 
ground  rapidly:  an  effort  to  remove  the  shot  had  fail 
ed.  Thus  situated,  Henley  wisely  determined  on 
quitting  her,  which  was  no  sooner  done  than  the 
magazine  exploded.  One  of  the  crew  of  the  Caroline 


64         N@TES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  8OUTCL 

was  killed  and  six  were  wounded.  On  the  twenty- 
eighth,  Sir  Edward  attempted  to  carry  the  American 
works  by  storm.  While  their  columns  were  advuic- 
ing,  their  rocketeersmen  threw  an  immense  number 
of  rocketts ;  this  was  an  instrument  of  destruction 
which  was  but  little  understood  in  America;  while 
flying  it  certainly  has  an  awe  inspiring  effect  :  a  few 
moments  will  shew,  that  there  is  little  certainty  in 
the  direction  of  the  rockets,  and  that  it  is  the  most 
harmless  of  missives.  The  American  batteries 
checked  their  advance  and  soon  compelled  them  te 
retire.  The  sloop  Louisiana,  which  lay  opposite  the 
American  line,  did  the  enemy  great  injury;  the  crew 
of  the  sloop  were  the  pressmen  before  spoken  of;  she 
was  commanded  by  Toinpson,  and  although  orders 
were  to  be  given  in  a  half  a  dozen  different  lan 
guages,  no  confusion  was  visible  during  the  battle. 
The  enemy  saw  the  mischief  the  Louisiana  was 
doing,  and  discharged  at.  her  a  number  of  hot  shot 
and  bomb  shells,  but  with  little  eflfect.  This  action 
lasted  but  a  short  time,  but  long  enough  to  prove  to 
the  American  general  the  strength  of  his  works  and 
the  skill  of  his  engineers.  The  loss  of  the  Americans 
was  thirty  or  forty  killed  and  wounded. 

The  enemy  moved  in  the  open  field,  hence  we  may 
infer  that  their  loss  was  much  more  considerable  ; 
what  it  really  was  they  have  never  stated.  Among 
the  killed  on  the  part  of  the  Americans  was  Col. 
Henderson  of  Carroll's  division.  From  this  time  to 
the  first  of  January  Gen.  Jackson  and  Sir  Edward 
were  mutually  engaged  in  harrassing  each  other,  and 
augmenting  the  means  of  annoyance  and  defence, 
which  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  detail  at  length. 
About  this  time  a  member  of  the  legislature  is  said  to 
have  inquired  of  an  officer  belonging  to  Jackson's 
army,  whether  if  the  lines  were  forced  and  the 
general  was  compelled  to  retreat  beyond  the  city, 
would  he  destroy  it?  Upon  being  asked,  why  he 


ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH,         65 

made  the  enquiry,  the  member  replied,  "  that  if 
Jackson's  lines  were  forced,  some  of  the  members  of 
the  legislature  had  been  talking  of  the  necessity  in 
that  event,  of  negociating  for  the  safety  of  the  city.*1* 
This  conversation  was  soon  reported  to  Gen.  Jackson, 
who  thought  he  saw  in  it  something;  extremely  crimi 
nal,  and  communicated  it  to  Gov.  Claiborne,  with  a 
request  that  he  would  watch  their  proceedings,  and 
as  soon  as  the  subject  should  be  openly  discussed  in 
their  hall,  to  arrest  the  members  and  hold  them  in 
custody,  subject  to  his  (Jackson's)  orders.  Gov. 
Claiborne  on  the  receipt  of  this  unpleasant  informa 
tion,  inquired  into  the  facts,  and  resolved  to  act  for  him 
self.  He  had  resolved  that  the  country  should  be  de 
fended  at  every  hazard;  and  he  saw  that  the  mere  dis 
cussion  of  such  a  subject  in  the  legislature,  at  such  a 
period,  might  damp  the  zeal  which  was  now  displayed 
in  the  defence  of  the  city,  and  might  introduce  into 
tiie  ranks  of  the  army,  disaffection  and  even  mutiny. 
To  wait  till  the  subject  should  be  discussed  in  the 
legislature,  he  very  properly  concluded,  would  not 
do,  for  each  member  had  his  friends,  and  arresting 
1hein  might  excite  popular  commotion.  Having 
weighed  all  the  circumstances,  he  determined  to  act 
promptly  and  decisively:  he  forthwith  placed  an 
armed  force  at  the  door  of  the  capitol  with  directions 
not  to  suffer  a  member  to  enter.  This  was  certainly 
a  bold  step.  I  have  understood  it  excited  some  dis 
satisfaction  towards  the  governor,  on  the  part  of  a  few 
of  the  members,  but  it  soon  blew  over,  for  the  very 
members  who  had  conversed  on  this  subject,  were 
themselves  patriots  of  the  first  order,  who,  alas ! 
were  alive  to  the  horrors  which  usually  befalls  a  city 
taken  by  storm.  Their  wives  and  children  too  were  in 
thecity.  What  would  be  their  situation  in  a  winter's 
night,  houseless,  and  buffeted  by  the  winds  and  waters 
of  heaven  ?  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  fathers 
and  husbands  ;  that  moral  and  amiable  men,  should 


66    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

reflect  what  was  to  be  the  destiny  of  their  wives  and 
daughters,  should  the  foe  enter  New  Orleans,  ex 
asperated  as  they  would  be  by  a  struggle  like  which 
they  had  seen  nothing  in  Europe.  To  polished  minds 
Hampton  in  Virginia  had  exhibited  a  scene  terrible 
beyond  description.  The  governor  has  attested  their 
patriotism  to  the  world,  although  he  condemned  the 
•weakness  which  in  this  particular  case  they  exhibited. 
And  the  legislature,  more  just  than  some  other  people 
have  been,  so  soon  as  they  resumed  their  legislative 
labors,  in  a  manifesto  to  the  world,  did  justice  to  the 
governor,  with  an  extract  from  which  paper  we  shall 
close  this  chapter.  It  is  a  monument  more  durable 
than  brass,  recording  alike  the  magnanimity  of  the 
legislature,  and  the  patriotism  and  energy  of  a  public 
ofncer,  the  spotless  purity  of  whose  character  de 
traction  can  never  tarnish.  "  The  enumeration-'  says 
the  legislature,  "  of  the  corps  and  individuals  who 
have  given  so  many  proofs  of  patriotism  ai;d  devo 
tion  to  their  country,  ought  not  to  be  closed  without 
mentioning  the  governor  of  this  state,  whose  efforts 
have  consfantly  been  directed  towards  cherishing  the 
haj;py  dispositions  of  the  inhabitants,  and  whose  au 
thority,,  to  its  utmost  extent,  has  been  employed 
in  securing  the  success  of  the  measures  adopted  for 
the  defence  of  this  country." 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  TUB  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  VJII. 


BETWEEN  the  twenty-eighth  and  thirtieth  each 
army  received  considerable  reinforcements  ;  Major- 
General  Gibbs  arrived  at  the  British  camp  with  tour 
thousand  troops  detached  from  Wellington's  army, 
and  at  the  same  time  Major-General  Villere  entered 
Jackson's  encampment  with  three  hundred  and  sixty 
Louisiana  militia.  Apprehensive  that  another  attempt 
might  be  made  to  carry  our  lines,  the  Americans  la 
boured  unremittingly  to  make  them  more  formidable, 
and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  at  this  place 
eight  hundred  yards  wide,  began  to  erect  batteries 
and  other  works,  at  which  Gen.  Morgan  and  a  re 
spectable  force  was  stationed.  It  was  anticipated, 
that  seeing  fewer  obstacles  in  the  way,  the  enemy 
might  find  the  means  of  crossing  the  river,  and  in 
that  direction  reach  the  city  ;  hence  these  precaution 
ary  steps  on  the  right  bank.  On  the  thirty-first  the 
enemy  fired  on  the  left  of  Jackson's  lines  from  a 
redoubt  they  had  newly  erected.  A  cannonading  on 
both  sides  was  kept  up  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
day,  with,  it  is  believed,  little  effect  on  either  side. 
In  the  night  of  the  thirty-first  the  enemy  erected 
two  additional  batteries  at  the  distance  of  six  hun 
dred  and  twenty  yards  from  our  lines. 

On  the  first  of  January,  as  soon  as  it  was  light, 
the  enemy  opened  on  the  American  lines  a  heavy  and 
incessant  fire  from  all  their  new  raised  batteries, 
which  was  returned  with  great  animation.  The  ob 
ject  was  to  silence  our  guns  and  make  a  breach  in  the 
breastwork;  but  in  this  thev  did  not  succeed;  on  the 


«»8          NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IX  THE  SOUTH. 

contrary,  several  of  their  guns  were  quickly  dismount- 
ed,  and  the  fire  from  the  American  batteries  was  so 
well  directed,  that  in  the  course  of  an  hour  theirs 
\vas  nearly  silenced.  The  superiority  of  the  Ameri 
can  gunnery  was  thus  rendered  more  clear  in  the 
greater  injury  done  the  enemy.  "While  the  cannon* 
tiding  was  going  on,  the  British  army  was  drawn  up 
ready  to  storm  the  American  lines,  so  soon  as  a 
breach  could  be  effected.  This  day's  experience 
however,  convinced  them,  that  if  carried  at  all,  the 
process  must  be  quicker  than  that  of  first  making  a 
breach  with  cannon.  In  the  course  of  this  day  the 
enemy  in  considerable  force,  under  cover  of  the  wood, 
penetrated  to  within  a  short  distance  of  that  part  of 
the  line  which  extended  into  the  swamp  where 
Coffee's  riflemen  were  placed;  they  were  no  sooner 
discovered  than  they  were  attacked  and  driven  back 
with  considerable  loss.  From  the  first  to  the  fourth 
nothing  occurred  worthy  of  notice  ;  on  the  latter  day 
the  Kentucky  troops  arrived  and  encamped  within 
the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans  ;  they  were  commanded 
by  Gen.  Thomas.  A  part  of  them  were  the  same 
day  detached,  and  under  Gen.  John  Adair,  marched 
and  took  post  a  little  in  the  rear  of  Jackson's  lines. 
This  position  was  admirably  chosen,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  brilliant  battle  of  the  eighth,  which  we  are  soon 
to  record. 

From  the  first  landing  of  the  enemy,  deserters  were 
occasionally  coming  over  to  the  American  camp,  and 
it  was  evident  that  as  their  knowledge  of  the  country 
improved,  the  disposition  of  the  British  soldiers  to  de 
sert  was  enlarged  and  the  number  increased.  From 
this  source  the  American  generals  were  daily  appris 
ed  of  the  strength  and  designs  of  the  enemy,  and  of 
the  occurrences  in  their  camp.  All  concurred  in 
stating  their  force  at  over  fifteen  thousand,  and  that 
they  were  making,  day  and  night,  preparations  for 
storming  at  an  early  period,  the  American 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    69 

The  unoccupied  space  between  the  two  armies  was 
bare  of  trees  and  inconsiderable  in  distance.  The 
noise  of  sledges  and  hammers,  which  were  distinctly 
and  almost  unremittingly  heard,  sounded  the  note  of 
preparation,  and  bespoke  the  approach  of  that  storm 
which  has  since  burst  desolation  and  death  on  these 
boasted  conquerors  of  Europe.  With  the  help  of 
glasses,  the  American  officers  could  plainly  discover 
the  industry  they  devoted  in  making  scaling  ladders 
and  fascines.  It  was  seen  th'at  night  did  not  put  a 
stop  to  their  labors :  on  the  contrary,  their  hammers 
told  an  increased  activity.  The  most  obscure  soldier 
in  the  American  lines  saw  that  the  hour  of  peril  was 
at  hand,  and  instead  of  shrinking  from  the  terrors  of 
the  approaching  tempest,  seemed  by  the  cheerfulness 
of  his  countenance  and  the  alacrity  with  which  he 
obeyed  the  orders  of  his  officers,  to  wait  its  coming 
with  the  composure  and  firmness  that  belong  to 
cultivated  minds.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at ; 
they  were  almost  to  a  man  freeholders,  or  the  sons 
of  freeholders;  they  were  not  taken  from  the  streets 
of  dissipated  and  corrupt  cities,  or  enlisted  into  tha 
army  to  prevent  their  becoming  victims  to  the  shiver  ; 
ing  pangs  of  want.  With  few  exceptions  they  could 
read  and  write,  and  had  paid  more  or  less  attention 
to  acquiring  information.  Many  who  were  in  the 
ranks  as  privates  were  scholars  of  the  first  order. 
Beale's  company  were  all  men  of  fortune  and  edu 
cation  ;  and  in  Hind's  corps  were  upwards  of  twenty 
youth  whose  landed  estates  were  worth  each  twenty 
thousand  dollars. 

Such  an  army  as  this  was,  along'with'the  character 
istic  bravery  of  Americans,  has'  the  coolness  and 
deliberation  in  dangers  which  appertains  to  reason 
and  reflection  only.  In  the  night  the  centinels  report 
ed  that  the  enemy  were  establishing  new  batteries, 
and  that  the  activity  of  the  preceding  day,  so  far 
from  having  slackened,  was  evidentl  increaseiK 


70         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

On  our  side  the  officers  passed  through  the  lines  and 
every  where  inspired  that  confidence  which  is  a  sure 
prelude  to  victory.  The  approach  of  day  was  looked 
for  with  impatience.  Every  officer  and  soldier  be 
longing  to  the  American  lines  was  now  at  his  post 
prepared  to  defend  his  country's  rights.  At  last  the 
looked  for  hour  arrived ;  the  great  luminary  of  day, 
as  if  ashamed  of  the  wickedness  of  man,  shot  forth  a 
feeble  ray  ;  its  beams  were  veiled  in  tears  ;  in  a  little 
while  the  mist  cleared  away,  and  the  sun  in  all  its 
brilliancy  shone  on  a  scene  to  America  1hc  most 
glorious,  and  to  Great  Britain  the  most  humiliating 
that  had  ever  before  been  exhibited  on  the  vast  thea 
tre  of  the  world.  The  mist  was  not  gone  when  the 
enemy  wc-re  discovered  in  line  and  prepared  to  ad 
vance.  A  rocket  of  brilliancy  discharged  from  one 
end  of  their  line  went  off  and  proclaimed  that  the 
moment  for  action  had  arrived.  One  of  our  batteries 
fired  from  a  twelve  pounder  a  shot  of  defiance.  The 
enemy  now  formed  in  column  near  one  hundred  deep, 
and  advanced  on  Jackson's  line.  They  had  just  be 
gan  to  move  when  their  batteries  threw  showers  of 
shot,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  their  Ccngreve 
rockets.  The  American  batteries  now  opened  their 
fire  upon  their  advancing  coluirn.  It  had  so  happen 
ed  that  a  day  or  two  before  this,  Generals  Jackson 
and  Adair  being  in  conversation  about  the  strength 
of  the  works,  Adair  told  him  that  such  was  the  disci  j 
pline  of  the  enemy  that  the  only  way  to  defeat  him 
was  to  shoot  down  their  columns  as  fast  as  they  ap 
peared,  and  that  to  do  this,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
Cave  a  powerful  reserve  so  located  that  they  could 
throw  themselves  at  any  time  in  that  part  of  the  line 
on  which  the  enemy  should  press.  Fortunately,  Jack 
son  caught  at  the  idea,  and  acted  upon  it.  Gen.  Adair 
with  a  brigade  of  Kentucky  troops  was  posted  a  little 
in  the  rear,  with  orders  to  advance  and  throw  himself 
iuto  that  part  of  the  trenches  against  which  the  foe 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    71 

might  appear  to  be  making  their  most  formidable  ad 
vances.     It  was  soon  apparent,  that  the.  pan  < 
lines  occupied  by  Carroll's  division  had  been  singled 
out  as  ti.e  priiiapal  point  of  attack;  to  that  pom: 
therefore  the  gallant  Adair  repaired  with  his  brigade  : 
by  the  time  he  had  united  his  troops  with  Ca 
division,   the    enemy,    notwithstanding  the  terrible 
havo'ck  made  by  the  cannist--r  and  grape  shot 
was  fired  at  them,  had  advanced  \vithin  the  reach  of 
the  musketry.     The  whole  American  line  now  open 
ed  a  fire  on  them,  which  was  utterly  irresistible;  it 
swept  away  ail  v.vhin  its  range  :  their  officers  endea- 
YOMivd  to  push  them  on,  but  it  was  impossible.     Al 
most  at  the  same  moment,  Gen.  Pakenhnui,  who  had 
advanced  v.  iat  o!V  to  inspirit  his  troops  by  his 

presence,  was  wounded  by  a  mu-,ket  ball  ia  the  kfiee, 
and  nearly  cut  in  two  by  a  cannon  shot.  Generals 
Gibbs  and  Keene  were  also  dreadfully  wounded. 
The  death  of  Pakenham,  the  fall  ot  Keerie  and  Gibbs 
all  at  the  same  moment,  and  the  heaps  of  dying  aiul 
dead  which  the  field  exhibited  in  every  direction, 
struck  a  panic  in  the  enemy,  who  now  fled  with  pre 
cipitation  until  they  had  fairly  got  out  of  reach  of  the 
American  cannon.  The j  could  not  be  rallied.  While 
the  foregoing  scenes  were  passing  on  the  left  of  the 
American  line,  Major-Gen.  Lambert,  who  succeeded 
to  the  command  in  chief,  pushed  forward  a  column 
of  fresh  troops  on  our  right":  they  moved  bi> 
the  river  and  levee.  The  style  with  which  this  co 
lumn  advanced  was  entirely  different  from  that 
which  was  observed  in  the  enemy  on  the  left.  In 
stead  of  a  slow  and  sullen  step,  they  were  at  the  line 
before  our  cannon  could  lire  more  than  two  rounds. 
They  came  up  in  full  tro; ;  a  part  of  the  column  even 
en'ered  the  redoubt  through  the  embrasures.  To 
keep  possession  of  the  redoubt  was  impossible,  unless 
the  entrenchment  in  the  rear  could  be  carried.  This, 
Col.  Renee,  the  British  commanding  officer,  now  atjj 


T2         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

tempted,  but  in  vain;  as  fast  as  they  shewed  thefla- 
selves  they  were  shot  down  ;  not  a  man  of  those  who 
entered  the  redoubt  escaped  death;  Renee  fell  with 
five  wounds  through  t!re  body.  The  part  of  the  co 
lumn  who  had  not  yet  got  up  to  the  redoubt  '.-ad 
faultered  ;  their  officers  tried  to  push  them  on,  but  to 
no  purpose.  To  advance  was  certain  death.  They 
/broke  and  fled  with  precipitation,  leaving  the  banks 
of  the  river  covered  with  their  dead  and  wounded 
comrades.  The  defeat  of  the  enemy  was  decisive. 
Major-Gen.  Lambert  acknowledged  a  loss  of  twenty- 
six  hundred,  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  Gibbs 
died  of  his  wounds  the  next  day.  It  is  ascertained 
that  fully  one  hundred  of  their  officers  were  killed, 
wounded  or  taken  prisoners.  On  tSie  left  of  the 
American  line,  where  the  greater  part  of  the  enemy's 
troops  acted,  an  area  of  three  acres  was  nearly  co 
vered  with  dead  and  wounded.  All  those  who  reach 
ed  the  ditch  in  front  of  the  American  lines  lay  there 
concealed  till  the  battle  was  over,  when  five  hundred, 
mostly  wounded,  were  captured.  Some  might  be  dis 
posed  to  doubt  it,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  the 
American  loss  was  barely  six  killed  and  seven  wound 
ed,  as  can  be  attested  by  the  oaths  of  thousands.  If 
we  consider  the  numbers  engaged,  the  short  time  the 
battle  raged,  the  little  experience  in  war  of  the 
American  troops,  most  of  them  having  within  the  last 
two  months  left  their  farms,  stores  and  work  houses, 
to  drive  away  the  enemy,  the  animation  and  certain 
ty  with  which  these  undisciplined  men  delivered  their 
fire,  we  may  we»l  say  that  history  furnishes  no  battle 
like  this.  Yes,  on  this  day,  our  army  put  in  the 
shade  the  achievements  of  all  preceding  ages.  The 
/battle  on  the  eighth  of  January,  1814,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  Mississippi,  forms  a  most  memo 
rable  sera  in  the  annals  of  the  United  States  ;  it  has 
resounded  through  Europe,  and  extorted  respect  for 
the  American  character  from  all  the  nations  of  the 


•NOTES  OX  TIIE  ^SVAR  ES  THE  SOUTH.         73 

earth.  On  this  day  was  reilected  back  on  the  enemy 
a  full  share  of  misfortune.  They  had  threatened  to 
lay  waste  our  towns  and  the  whole  country  on  the 
st-a.  board.  They  had  given  notice  of  this  determi 
nation  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  American  govern 
ment  by  Admiral  Cochrane.  The  haughty  islanders 
will  no  longer  plume  themselves  on  the  injuries  they 
do  us.  The  battle  of  the  eighth  has  proved  to  demon 
stration,  that)  the  just  vengeance  of  an  irritated  peo 
ple  is  terrible  beyond  description.  That  the  enemy 
intended  to  act  up  to  the  threat  their  admiral  had 
made,  cannot  be  doubted ;  their  word  was  on  the 
morning  of  the  eighth  "  beauty  and  booty,"  and  it  is 
clear  that  impunity  to  rapine  and  lust  was  promised 
to  stimulate  their  troops  to  perseverance  and  con 
quest.  \Vhen  we  reflect  on  the  full  measure  of  woe 
prepared  for  New  Orleans,  we  must  be  excused  in 
saying  in  our  triumph,  we  rejoice  that  the  foe  was 
humbled  in  dust  and  ashes.  The  destruction  ef  the 
enemy's  army  was  now  inevitable,  but,  for  an  occur 
rence  the  most  unfortunate  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river.  At  the  moment  of  advancing  on  Jackson's 
line  as  already  described,  he  had  passed  in  boats  to 
the  opposite  shore  a  strong  detachment  under  Col. 
Thornton.  These  advanced  against  Gen.  Morgan's 
lines,  which  they  unfortunately  forced  after  a  short 
contest.  Gen.  Morgan,  however,  rallied  the  troops, 
and  the  enemy  not  pursuing  his  success  further,  rein 
forcements  were  thrown  over  the  river,  and  direc 
tions  given  to  Gen.  Humburt  to  put  himself  at  their 
head  and  repulse  the  foe,  let  the  cost  be  what  it  might. 
Their  disaster,  however,  on  the  left  bank  was  so 
serious,  that  the  enemy  lost  all  confidence  in  them 
selves,  and  that  night  retreated,  and  recrossing  the 
river  united  with  the  shattered  remains  of  their  main 
army.  Gen.  Humburt  now  moved  forward  and  re- 
occupied  the  ground  from  which  Morgan  had  the  day 
before  retreated.  Ou  the  right  bank  but  few  troops 


T4f          NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

wore  engaged  on  either  side.  The  British  detachment 
\v:is  estimated  at  eight  hundred,  and  the  American 
force  was  about  the  same  in  number.  Morgan's  re 
treat  has  been  ascribed  to  the  misconduct  of  some 
Ktatucky  troops  who  occupied  one  extremity  of  his 
line.  An  ample  apology  has  been  made  for  them  : 
their  arms  were  utterly  insufficient,  being  the  great 
er  part  out  of  order :  indeed  the  want  of  arms  was 
so  great  that  the  fourth  of  the  troops  collected  for 
the  defence  of  New  Orleans  had  none  at  all,  and  of 
those  who  were  armed,  one  third  was  with  guns  that 
wanted  rapairs.  It  would  be  out  of  our  object  to 
inquire  whose  fault  was  this.  On  the  left  bank  the 
Americans  succeeded  in  taking  one  thousand  stand 
from  the  enemy. 

£  The  loss  of  the  enemy  in  killed  and  wounded,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  was  one  hundred  and  twen 
ty;  that  of  the  Americans  one  killed  and  five  wound 
ed,  and  for  this  we  have  the  returns  of  the  proper 
officers.  Certainly,  we  have  reason  to  be  grateful  to 
Divine  Providence,  our  very  defeats  are,  if  possible, 
triumphs.  See  the  superiority  of  the  mischiefs  we  do 
the  foe.  The  menacing  attitude  of  the  enemy  was 
now  dropped.  Having  concentrated  his  force,  appre 
hensive  of  attack,  he  fortified  most  diligently,  and 
erected  on  the  roa'd  by  which  he  intended  to  retreat, 
numerous  batteries,  the  better  to  protect  him  from 
his  formidable  opponents.  It  was  apparent  from  his 
movements,  that  Lambert  meditated  a  flight,  for  the 
situation  he  occupied  was  truly  unpleasant,  as  Jack 
son  occasionally  bombarded  him,  and  was  daily  taking 
toll  for  the  temerity  of  his  own  demonstrations  on 
New  Orleans.  On  the  night  of  the  eighteenth  Lam 
bert  moved,  leaving  eighty  of  his  wounded  who  he 
recommended  to  Jackson's  humanity,  arid  fourteen 
cannon,  a  large  supply  of  powder  scattered  on  the 
ground  to  render  it  useless,  and  a  number  of  heavy 
articles  of  value.  So  rapid  was  his  flight  that  a( 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    7 

(hough  pursued  he  could  not  be  overtaken,  and  but 
few  of  his  stragglers  could  be  captured.  .  About  this 
time,  the  enemy,  who  had  attempted  with  their  ship 
ping,  to  come,  up  the  river,  retired  from  Fort  Si. 
Philip's,  which  they  had  bombarded  for  five  days  with 
out  silencing  a  single  gun  or  doing  other  mischief 
than  killing  two  of  our  men  and  wounding  five.  The 
injury  their  shipping  sustained  it  is  their  policy  to 
conceal.  We  confidently  believe  it  was  considerable. 

While  the  enemy  were  attempting  to  ascend  the 
Mississippi  river,  Gov.  Claiborne,  who  heretofore  had 
been  stationed  on  Colson  plantation,  on  the  Gentille 
plain,  three  miles  from  the  city,  entrusted  with  the 
defence  of  the  important  pass  of  Chef  Menteur,  and 
the  estuary  or  Bayou  St.  John  of  Lak^  Pontclmr- 
train,  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  right 
bank  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  place  of  Gen.  Morgan, 
who  was  given  a  command  in  the  main  army  under 
Gen.  Jackson. 

The  British  having  retreated  to  the  water,  their 
favorite  element,  and  their  fleet  being  foiled  at  St. 
Philips,  and  having  sailed  out  of  the  river,  Louisiana 
was  now  freed  from  invasion.  The  enemy's  demon 
strations  as  they  termed  it,  cost  them  an  immensity 
of  treasure,  and  a  great  deal  of  blood.  It  is  com 
puted  that  their  killed  and  wounded,  amounted  to 
four  thousand,  while  they  were  operating  against  the 
city:  a  thousand  prisoners  were  made  at  different 
times  by  the  American  forces.  Numbers  dishearten-' 
ed  by  the  vigorous  discipline  to  which  they  were  sub 
jected,  and  tired  of  the  bloody  scenes  which  had  long 
been  before  their  eyes  in  Europe,  and  now  in  Amer 
ica,  or  enamoured  with  our  free  institutions,  deserted 
the  standard  of  their  master,  and  came  over  to  the 
American  camp.  Add  to  this,  the  climate  of  New- 
Orleans,  being  uncongenial  with  the  British  consti 
tution,  disease  in  its  most  hideous  form,  entered  the 
enemy's  cainp,  and  with  giant  strides  thinned  their 


r6         NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  TilE  SOUTH, 

ranks.  An  intelligent  gentleman  who  had  the  be«t 
opportunity  of  judging  aright,  put  down  their  total 
loss  in  killed,  wounded,  taken  captive,  and  deserted, 
at  on«  half  their  numbers  at  their  landing ;  nor  can 
we  think  this  too  large,  when  we  know  that  in  the 
action  of  the  8th,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  they 
lost  in  killed  and  wounded,  upwards  of  eighty  officers, 
and  had  as  many  captured  as  made  the  loss  of  officers 
alone  on  that  day  one  hundred.  Besides  the  battle 
of  the  8th,  they  suffered  severely  in  several  other 
contests,  and  daily  lost  more  or  less  of  their  men. 
The  adventures  of  a  private  belonging  to  Coffee's 
brigade  will  shew  how  little  the  Americans  regarded 
these  boasted  conquerors  of  the  conquerors  of  Europe. 
This  man  having  hung  round  his  neck  his  powder 
horn  and  bullet  pouch,  and  put  his  rifle  in  good 
order,  gravely  asked  permission  to  attack  the  enemy; 
this  being  granted,  he  made  a  circuit  through  the 
swamp,  and  placing  himself  on  the  right  of  the 
enemy's  lines,  he  waited  till  night  to  commence  his 
attack  ;  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  he  crept  up  to  the 
edge  of  the  swamp  and  discovered  a  centinel,  whom 
he  shot ;  then  laying  down  his  own  gun,  he  advanced 
to  tke  dead  man  and  brought  away  his  arms.  In  the 
course  of  the  night  he  killed  three  centinels,  and  be 
fore  day  returned  to  camp,  bringing  with  him  his 
own  gun  and  the  three  guns  he  had  taken  from  the 
three  centinels  he  had  killed.  The  British  forces 
having  withdrawn,  the  New  Orleans  volunteers  now 
returned  to  their  homes,  and  Coffee's  and  Carroll's 
troops  returned  to  their  camp  above  the  city.  No 
thing  could  equal  the  joy  of  the  people  on  seeing 
these  brave  men :  the  Marseilles  hymn,  yankee 
doodle  and  other  patriotic  airs  were  played  through 
the  streets  by  the  city  bands,  who  escorted  them 
through  the  town,  and*  when  any  of  the  returning 
companies  presented  themselves  in  the  street,  white, 
handkerchiefs  were  wav.ed  by  the  ladies  in  token  of 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    77 

the  respect  they  had  for  brave  men  and  patriots.  It 
could  riot  be  othewise,  Louisiana  was  true  and  faith 
ful  to  the  core.  The  children  seemed,  while  the 
invasion  lasted,  to  have  partaken  of  the  general  en 
thusiasm,  chaunting  national  airs  ;  arid  groups  of  boys 
were  frequently  seen  in  the  streets  going  through  the 
manual  of  a  soldier.  Gen.  Jackson  had  repeatedly 
declared  the  enemy  should  never  reach  the  city. 
He  did  not  stand  alone  in  his  valour,  his  firmness  was 
well  seconded,  and  if  the  city  had  been  doomed  to 
fall,  many  noble  and  generous  spirits  had  resolved  to 
perish  amid  its  ruins.  Every  inch  of  ground  was  to 
be  disputed.  If  line  Jackson,  as  it  was  called,  had 
been  forced  on  the  eighth,  line  Dupree,  three  miles  in 
the  rear,  was  instantly  to  have  been  occupied ;  if  un 
able  to  retain  this,  other  works  one  mile  from  the 
suburbs  of  the  city  were  provided  ;  if  driven  from 
these  also,  the  streets  were  to  be  seized  by  choice 
spirits;  every  house  to  become  a  citadel;  and  every 
mode  of  destroying  the  enemy  resorted  to  that  indivi 
dual  ingenuity  could  suggest.  Ir  is  but  justice  to 
say,  that  the  enthusiasm  which  pervaded  all  ranks, 
was  kindled  and  kept  alive  during  the  invasion,  in 
a  great  degree,  by  the  genius  of  Gen.  Jackson  ;  nor 
will  I  be  suspected  of  an  improper  partiality  to  a 
venerated  brother  now  no  more,  when  I  sav  that  Mr. 
Claiborne  did  all  in  his  power  to  save  the" city.  As 
chief  magistrate  of  the  -state,  his  authority  was 
pushed  to  its  utmost  limits  to  secure  this  object.  But 
what  next  to  the  favor  of  heaven  contributed  more 
than  any  thing  else  to  the  glorious  termination  of  the 
campaign,  was  the  invincible  attachment  of  all  ranks 
and  descriptions  of  people  to  their  country,  govern 
ment  and  laws.  We  have  already  done  justice  to 
the  ladies  of  New  Orleans,  most  'of  whom  worked 
incessantly  on  clothing,  for  such  of  the  troops  as  stood 
in  need  thereof.  It  would  be  ingratitude  when  an 
enumeration  is  made  of  the  principal  agents,  civil 
G 


7S    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

and  military,  who  contributed  to  the  safety  of  this 
city,  to  omit  to  mention  Nicholas  Girod,  the  mayor 
of  the  place ;  he  even  paid  domiciliary  visits  to  the 
citizens  to  obtain  arms,  ammunition  and  necessaries 
for  the  army,  and  thereby  contributed  to  the  repulse 
of  the  foe. 

The  enemy  having  failed  in  their  design  on  New 
Orleans,  turned  their  attention  to  much  less  objects. 
On  the  eighth  of  February  they  attacked  Fort  llow- 
yer,  with  a  fleet  of  twenty -five  sail  and  five  thousand 
land  troops.  The  siege  continued  until  the  eleventh, 
during  which  time  they  threw  shells  and  balls  into 
the  fort,  and  had  finally  advanced  their  wwrks  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  fort.  No  relief  being  at  hand, 
the  American  commanding  officer  surrendered,  the 
garrison  consisting  of  three  hundred  men. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  acknowledged  to  be 
about  thirty  or  forty.  That  sustained  by  the  Ame 
ricans,  was  stated  by  the  gallant  Col.  Lawrence,  the 
commander  of  the  fort,  atone  killed  and  ten  wounded, 
of  which  number  was  Lawrence  himself.  Here  was 
shed  blood  for  the  last  time  in  the  second  war  be 
tween  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  On  this 
day,  the  fifteenth  of  February,  1815,  the  glad  tidings 
of  peace  reached  the  city  of  Richmond,  the  place 
where  the  foregoing  Notes  on  the  "VVar  in  the  South 
and  south-western  country  were  written,  as  the  events 
themselves  transpired.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  say, 
it  was  hailed  with  every  demonstration  of  joy;  splen 
did  illuminations,  and  balls,  and  amusements,  which 
denote  entire  satisfaction,  in  this  city  and  throughout 
the  United  States  ensued  in  celebration  of  this  hap 
py  event.  The  sword  honorably  drawn  in  defence 
of  the  nation  was  returned  to  its  scabbard  when  no 
further  necessity  existed  to  stain  it  with  blood.  Na 
tional  prejudices  instantly  gave  way,  and  the  wish 
became  universal  that  the  peace  might  be  lasting,  in 
preserving  these  notes,  I  have  but  one  object,  it  is 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    ?y 

this  :  that  my  family  may  see  the  part  their  relations 
have  taken  in  the  contest  through  which  we  have  just 
past.  When  I  shall  repose  in  the  silent  tomb,  if  my 
thinking  faculties  are  there  retained,  I  shall  look 
back  with  fond  delight  on  an  offspring  ever  ready  to 
defend  their  country,  government  and  laws.  Patriot 
ism  is  the  first  of  virtues,  and  the  man  who  looks 
\\ith  indifference  on  his  country's  contests  and  strug 
gles,  is  the  meanest  and  lowest  of  animated  beings: 
such  a  creature  U  without  the  gentle  qualities  which 
render  a  man  most  estimable  u»  a  member  of  society, 
at  the  same  time  that  he  is  a  stranger  to  the  generous 
ralour  which  guarantees  security  to  virtue. 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    81 


CHAPTER  IX. 


GENERAL  JdCKSOJf, 

THE  victories  of  Gen.  Jackson  over  the  British  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans,  have  spread  joy  through 
the  United  States,  and  will  exalt  to  the  highest 
pinnacla  of  glory  this  great  country.  There  is  no 
thing  in  history  which  equals  them  either  in  brilliancy 
of  achievement  or  in  the  magnitude  of  the  conse 
quences  likely  to  result  thereupon.  Gen.  Jackson 
may  well  be  styled  the  Hannibal  of  America ;  like 
Hannibal  he  is  ardent,  brave  and  abounding  in  stra 
tagem.  We  call  on  the  antiquarian  and  the  man  of 
modern  reading  to  produce  any  thing  in  the  cam 
paigns  of  a  Maryborough  or  a  Wellington,  that  can 
with  propriety  be  compared  in  rapidity  of  movement 
or  extent  of  execution  to  the  vast  exploits  of  this  un 
rivalled  military  genius.  Marlborough  and  Welling 
ton,  with  soldiers  previously  dedicated  for  years  to 
shedding  of  human  blood,  commanded  with  reputa 
tion  and  were  occasionally  successful.  The  AmerU*- 
can  general,  on  the  other  hand,  inspires  in  a  few  days 
a  mass  of  farmers,  mechanics  and  tradesmen,  hastily 
collected,  with  an  invincible  ardor,  and  while  vastly 
inferior  in  number  to  their  enemy,  leads  them  to  vic 
tory  and  glory.  The  contest  on  the  plains  of  Bie;.- 
Venuc,  on  the  twenty-third  of  December,  was  a  fair 
fight,  and  it  is  admitted  that  but  for  a  fog  that  uafor- 
G.  2 


82  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

innately  arose,  it  would  have  terminated  with  the 
overthrow  ot  the  enemy's  army.  From  the  twenty- 
third  of  December  to  the  memorable  eighth  of  Janu 
ary,  1815,  we  find  the  American  general  constantly 
contending,  and  always  with  success,  with  the  in 
creasing  numbers  of  an  enemy  rendered  furious  by 
the  disgraceful  defeats  they  had  suffered  in  America, 
contrasted  with  the  recollection  of  the  victories  they 
had  obtained  in  Spain,  and  Portugal,  and  France. 
And  finally,  on  the  eighth  of  January, defeating  them 
with  a  carnage  seldom  if  ever  before  witnessed  in 
any  age  or  country.  Some  of  the  few  British  officers 
who  survived  this  memorable  battle,  admitted*, that 
the  slaughter  on  their  part  was  what  they  had  never 
before  witnessed  in  Spain  and  Portugal,  where  no 
more  men  were  engaged,  or  the  action  lasted  no 
longer  than  that  did  on  the  eighth  of  January.  It  is 
believed,  says  Mr.  Miller,  a  former  member  of  con 
gress,  and  a  man  of  first  rate  respectability,  that 
nineteen-twentieths  of  the  enemy  who  attempted 
to  storm,  were  destroyed.  From  a  journal  found  in 
the  pocket  of  an  officer  who  was  slain,  it  appears 
that  the  enemy  lost  previously  to  the  eighth,  at  least 
three  thousand  men  ;  now  add  thereto  the  loss  on  the 
eighth,  and  the  slain  on  the  lake  in  the  contest  with 
the  gun  boats,  and  an  aggregate  number  of  six  thou 
sand  is  the  result.  Most  men  content  thins  elves  with 
a  victory,  and  the  glory  it  adds  to  the  national  cha 
racter,  and  do  not  enquire  into  tl^e  consequences 
likely  to  attend  it.  Those  that  will  attend  the  tri 
umphs  of  the  immortal  Jackson,  it  is  believed,  will 
be  of  the  most  important  kind  :  the  way  to  peace, 
honorable  and  just  peace,  is  paved  by  them.  The 
enemy  have  failed  in  the  first  object  of  their  ambi 
tion  ;  New  Orleans  is  safe.  This  key  to  the  western 
states,  and  the  possession  of  which  would  have  in 
stantly  enabled  the  enemy  to  stir  up  all  the  savages 
who  surround  us,  is  secure.  The  American  victories 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    33 

at  New  Orleans  will  resound  through  the  civilized 
world.  In  the  great  battle  of  Marengo,  which  settled 
at  the  time,  the  fate  of  half  Europe,  the  loss  sus 
tained  by  the  Austrians  in  killed  and  wounded,  was 
little  more  than  treble  that  which  the  enemy  have  sus 
tained  at  New  Orleans,  it*  vicinity  and  on  the  lake. 
And  let  it  be  remembered,  that  in  reference  to  the 
numbers  of  the  two  armies  here  referred  to,  that  of 
the  British  was  by  far  the  most  severe.  In  England 
they  will  in  amazement  ask,  could  it  be  possible, 
that  Jackson  could  make  veterans  of  militia  in  a  few 
days,  officered  by  men,  many  of  whom  had  never 
before  seen  the  fire  of  an  enemy  ;  and  finally,  in 
spite  of  the  vast  superiority  of  the  enemy,  nearly 
destroy  an  army  of  regulars  ten  thousand  strong,  who 
with  their  officers,  had  been  previously  led  to  victory 
by  their  boasted  Lord  Wellington  ?  Most  of  their 
officers  of  distinction  have  been  killed;  but  fe\v  of 
them  will  return  home,  and  their  privates  are  sharing 
the  same  fate.  The  British  court  tried  to  conceal  the 
aifairs  of  Lake  Champlain  and  Plattsburg,  as  I  fore 
told  in  the  third  number  of  the  Crisis ;  but  the  whole 
came  out,  Canning;  and  Co.  to  the  contrary  notwith 
standing.  And  a  full  history  of  the  British  disasters 
in  the  north  section  of  the  United  States,  is  now  to 
be  met  with  in  all  the  languages  of  modern  Europe. 
It  had  like  to  have  run  John  Hull  crazy,  To  relievo- 
John,  the  British  court  fittted  out  the*  expedition  to 
New  Orleans,  at  an  expense,  I  conjecture  ef  forty 
millions  of  dollars.  It  started  from  Portsmouth  the 
twenty-eighth  of  September.  It  was  commanded  by 
Pakenham,  brother-in-law  of  Wellington,  by  Keene 
and  others,  and  was  said  to  be  considerable.  It 
touched  at  Jamaica,  and  took  in  a  black  regiment, 
and  at  Martinico  and  Guadaloupe,  and  took  in  the 
garrisons  of  the  two  latter  places,  supposed  to  be  at 
least  four  thousand,  and  the  whole  subsequently  form 
ed  a  junction  with  the  remnant  of  Ross's  army.  This 


84          NOTES  ON  THE  WAK  IN  THE  SOUTH 

force  was  to  sweep  all  before  it.  In  a  few  days  the 
greater  part  of  them  have  been  destroyed.  Pa  ken- 
ham  and  many  of  their  distinguished  officers  are  said, 
to  have  perished  ;  while  the  loss  on  the  part  of  the 
Americans  is  truly  small,  as  to  numbers.  The  events 
before  New  Orleans  are  not  to  be  ranked  among  or 
dinary  occurrences.  They  astonish  the  people  who 
are  in  the  early  habit  of  performing  the  noblest  feats, 
and  producing  the  best  prodigies  of  valor;  and  while 
they  fill  the  hearts  of  good  men  with  reverence  to 
that  God  who  knows  the  justice  of  our  cause,  and 
who  carefully  protects  us  from  our  enemies,  they  co 
ver  with  shame  the  venal  wretches  who  would  have 
submitted  to  tyranny  rather  than  rnn  the  hazard  of 
death,  in  a  manly  effort  to  remain  free  and  independ 
ent.  The  war  both  by  sea  and  land  is  honorable  to 
America,  and  it  is  believed  when  peace  shall  corne 
(and  our  victories  begin  to  show  it  to  be  near  at  hand) 
that  it  will  be  seen  that  we  have  risen  in  the  estima 
tion  of  the  world.  No  nation  ever  was  conquered, 
when  a  manly  and  united  effort  was  made  to  resist 
oppression.  When  nations  have  been  subjugated,  it 
has  been  brought  about  by  fraud  ;  it  has  not  been  ef 
fected  by  dint  of  the  sword.  The  people  collectively 
are  invulnerable  to  open  force.  Let  the  good  and  the 
rirtuous  of  all  parties  determine  to  exterminate  the 
British  filth  as  it  is  poured  on  our  soil,  and  peace, 
honorable  and  just  peace,  is  inevitable.  A  few  more 
such  victories  as  those  of  the  brave  Jackson,  and  the 
tears  of  widows  and  orphans  will  cease  to  flow.  The 
scriptures  of  our  country  tell  us  "  to  love  our  neigh 
bors  as  ourselves,"  which  is  the  injunction  of  patri 
otism  ;  and  to  copy  from  the  sa*ne  book,  which  in  robes 
of  eloquence  and  in  the  language  of  inspiration  com 
mands  and  enjoins  all  the  manly  virtues,  "  Cursed  is 
he  who  keepcth  his  swoid  from  blood."  Yes,  me- 
thinks  he  who  surrenders  without  an  effort,  our  towns 
"o  pillage,  our  grave -yards  to  the  polluting  touch  of 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THL  SOUTH.    8i 

vandals,  and  our  fair  countrywomen  to  outrage,  de 
serves  to  be  expunged  from  the  works  of  nature, 
cursed  and  abhorred  by  all  good  men. 

|C7*  Since  the  above  was  written,  a  peace,  an 
honorable  peace,  has  descended  to  bless  our  country. 
Time  can  never  obliterate  the  sense  of  gratitude  to 
the  gallant  spirits  who  have  won  it  for  us.  As  to  the 
proud  and  arrogant  nation,  with  whom  we  have  been 
contending,  we"  shall  be  ready  to  litt  the  sword,  when 
she  repeats,  if  ever  she  dares  repeat  her  aggressions. 
We  may  forgive  the  enormities  which  she  nas  prac 
tised  during  the  war  :  we  can  never  forget  them 


letter  of  the  seventh  instant  has  been  receiv 
ed  from  New  Orleans.  All  our  prisoners  had  beeri 
exchanged,  except  about  one  hundred  seamen,  who 
hud  i)@gn  iiftt  to  .lauiaicti.  The  lii  i  u»h  ihips  Wire 
filled  with  wounded,  and  the  troops  were  on  two- 
thirds  allowance,  they  expecting  an  easy  prey  and  a 
copious  booty  in  provisions  at  New  Orleans, 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.         3r 


CHAPTER  X. 


GEXEE1L  J 


WHEN  a  man  has  been  eminently  useful,  some 
notice  of  his  life  and  character  becomes  desiiu 
The  post  General  Jackson  .occupies,  the  honorable 
manner  in  which  he  has  brought  the  Creek  war  to  a 
termination,  the  unexampled  enthusiasm  which  he 
has  instilled  into  his  army  in  defence  of  the  nation, 
the  confidence  which  as  a  soldier  and  patriot  he  has 
every  where  obtained  through  this  vast  country,  has 
excited  a  curiosity  on  the  part  of  the  public  to  become 
more  intimately  acquainted  with  him.  His  career 
marks  an  important  epoch  in  the  history  of  his  coun 
try.  Andrew  Jackson  was  bora  in  South  Carolina,  of 
Irish  parents;  he  lost  a  brother  in  the  revolutionary 
war,  and  himself  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner 
by  the  British,  in  the  first  contest  between  Gixat 
Britain  and  the  United  States.  His  attachment  to 
free  government  and  the  country  of  his  birth  was 
early  and  ardent,  and  endeared  by  personal  sufter- 
in^s and  the  misfortunes  of  his  family.  He  received 
a  liberal  education,  and  early  in  life  commenced  the 
practice  of  the  law.  He  was  esteemed  eminent  in 
his  profession.  His  speeches  at  the  bar,  were  consi 
dered  nervous,  and  admired  for  the  perspicuity  of  the 
style.  If  he  did  not  stand  at  the  head  of  his  pro- 


88         NOTES  ON  THfc  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

fession  in  range  of  thought  and  brilliancy  of  ex 
pression,  he  at  least  acquired  the  reputation  of  a  good 
lawyer.  In  early  life  he  was  poor:  his  industry  soon 
made  him  rich,  generous,  gay  and  sanguine  in  his 
temper :  his  influence  became  extensive ;  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Tennessee  convention,  and 
had  some  share  in  the  formation  of  the  constitution 
of  that  state.  On  the  admission  of  Tennessee  into 
the  Union  as  a  sister  state,  he  was  elected  to  the 
houge  of  representatives,  from  which  he  was  trans- 
feried  to  the  senate  of  the  United  States. 

This  station  he  occupied  till  he  was  appointed  a 
judge  of  the  superior  court  of  law  and  equity  of 
Tennessee,  which  last  nailed  office  he  held  for  se 
veral  years.  On  giving  up  this  appointment  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  military  art,  arid  soon 
rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general  of  militia.  As  an 
officer  at  the  head  of  an  army,  comment  is  unnecessa 
ry;  he  has  appeared  covered  with  glory:  the  laurels 
with  which  he  has  decked  his  country's  standards  will 
bloom  for  a^es.  His  person  remains  to  be  noticed. 
He  is  tall,  tuin  and  spare,  but  muscular  and  hardy, 
with  an  eye  quick  ami  penetrating.  On  beholding 
General  Jackson,  you  teel  disposed  to  say  he  is  a  man 
of  iron.  Adversity  can  make  no  impression  on  a 
frame  braced  by  sue!;  decision  and  firmness  as  is 
visible  in  his  face  and  person.  Let  not  the  reader 
conclude  from  this  that  the  personal  appearance  of 
Gen.  Jackson  is  disagreeable ;  on  the  contrary,  a 
face  will  always  be  admired  that  might  pass  for  the 
emblem  of  winter.  A  regard  to  truth  will  compel 
all  who  attempt  to  draw  the  character  of  this  gentle 
man  to  say  that  he  is  communicative  and  pleasant  in 
conversation.  To  the  poor,  liberal;  to  the  unfortun 
ate,  charitable;  to  the  humblest  private  in  the  ranks, 
miid  and  tender;  at  home  and  in  retirement,  hospi 
table  and  friendly.  He  is  now  at  least  sixty,  but  a 
quickness  of  step,  a  si  intrepidity  of  expression, 


30TES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    89 

would  denote  that  he  was  ten  years  younger.     The 
general  is  married,  but  has  no  children. 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    91 


CHAPTER  XI. 


GOrERXOR  CLJIIEOEXE. 


ON  the  twenty-third  of  November,  1817,  "William 
Charles  Cole  Claiborne,  late  governor  of  New  Or 
leans,  departed  this  life,  of  a  liver  complaint.  Few 
men  have  ever  occupied  a  larger  space  in  public  es 
timation  than  he  did;  the  time  of  no  man  was  ever 
more  uniformly  devoted  to  the  service  of  his  country, 
or  rose  to  greater  eminence,  triumphing  over  more 
numerous  difficulties.  Though  his  earthly  career 
was  stopped  by  death  when  little  turned  of  forty 
years  old,  he  had  already  participated  largely  in 
giving  to  a  state  now  flourishing,  and  respectable, 
and  warlike,  a  republican  constitution  ;  he  had  by 
his  firmness  and  perseverance  contributed  to  achieve 
a  republican  administration  to  the  United  States, 
which  still  continues  ;and  had  occupied  almost  every 
office  of  high  trust  of  ..which  a  man  would  be  ambi 
tious,  who  desired  to  be  useful  in  his  day,  and  had 
discharged  his  engagements  to  the  public  in  such  a 
way  that  he  has  secured  the  approbation  of  the  good 
and  virtuous  part  of  the  community  and  the  ap 
plause  of  posterity. 

The  memory  of  his  public  course  wilt  never  perish, 
for  it  is  recorded  on  the  imperishable  pages  of  history. 
His  private  character  and  the  means  by  which  he 


92    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

rose  from  a  poor  and  almost  friendless  boy  to  a  proud 
eminence  among  his  country's  benefactors,  might  be 
forgot  after  the  present  generation  should  have  pass 
ed  away,  but  for  the  friendship  which  has  induced 
the  author  to  write  the  following  short  history  of  his 
life=  William  Charles  Cole  Claiborne  was  born  in 
Virginia,  of  a  family  who  had  been  settled  in  that 
state,  for  near  two  hundred  years.  When  the  revo 
lution  came  on,  it  is  believed,  that  without  an  ex 
ception,  his  family  took  the  side  of  the  people,  against 
arbitrary  government,  and  continued  their  efforts  in 
common  with  their  countrymen  till  the  contest  even 
tuated  in  the  establishment  of  independence.  The 
subject  of  this  memoir  was  at  the  close  of  the  revo 
lutionary  war  a  mere  child  :  arid  hence  is  not  sup 
posed  to  have  been  able  at  the  time  to  have  duly 
appreciated  the  magnitude  of  the  task  our  fafheri 
had  accomplished,  or  the  perils  through  which  it  was 
achieved.  It  was  the  will  of  God  that  his  father 
should  be  among  the  number  that  survived  this  glo 
rious  contest.  It  was  the  practice  of  my  father  to 
recount  to  his  children  of  winter  nights,  the  exploit* 
of  the  American  soldiers,  the  hardships  they  encoun 
tered,  the  dangers  they  faced,  the  battles  they  fought, 
and  the  victories  they  won.  In  passing  along,  he 
would  paint  in  glowing  colours,  the  horrors  of  the 
British  prison  ships,  and  the  brutality  of  the  British 
soldiery,  who  on  numberless  occasions  stood  con 
victed  of  atrocities  horrible  beyond  endurance.  ?v3y 
father  had  some  learning,  a  fine  imagination,  and  an 
eloquence  bold,  figurative  and  expressive.  Unlucki 
ly,  he  was  destitute  of  application,  or  he  might 
easily  have  gained  back  that  wealth  which  was  given 
to  him  by  his  ancestors,  which  had  been  lost  by 
early  indiscretions,  but  principally  by  an  honorable 
zeal  in  the  service  of  his  country.  My  father  did 
not  like  Hamilcar,  take  his  children  to  the  altar  to 
swear  hatred  to  the  early  oppressors  of  his  country: 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    93 

but  by  the  lectures  he  gave  them,  he  impressed  on 
their  ;nin  Is  an  invincible  attachment  to  free  govern 
ment,  a  determination   wi»eu  necessii-y  to  lift  their 
arms   for   its   defence,   a:ul  a  detestation  beyond  de 
scription  for  the  citizen  who   would   raise   his   parri 
cidal   hand   to   destroy  the   fiir   fabric   of  American 
libertv.     When  William  was  as  yet  only  eight  years 
old,  his  political  principles  illicit  be  said  to  be  'fixed. 
They  were  then  what  they  were    at  the   day  of  his 
death,  republican.     I   shall  never  forget  the  enthusi 
astic  admir.ition  of  that  excellent  and   amiable  man 
Mr.  Eldrid^e  Harris,  the  president  of  the  Richmond 
academy,  when  he  saw  for  tiie  first  time,  the  motto 
which  his  scholar  William  had  written  in  his  Latin 
grammar;  it  was,    "  cara  patria,    carior  liberatas.— 
ubiist  liberlas,  ibi  est   m?a  patria;"  the  English  of 
which  is,  "  Dear  my  country,  dearer  liberty — where 
liberry   is,    there  is   my   country.55     In  writing  this 
motto  William  had  made  one  or  two  mistakes,  which 
Mr.  Harris  corrected,  and   as  the  good    man    never 
failed  in  his  life  to  seize  on  every  fit  occasion  to  im 
plant  in  the  minds  of  his   pupils  correct,  honorable 
and   manly  notions,    he   caught   on   this   occurrence 
and  made  it  the  text  from  which  he  delivered  a  long 
lecture  on  the  beauty  of  republican  government,  gave 
an  interesting  detail  of  the   dangers  the  people  of 
these  states  voluntarily  encountered  to  establish  it, 
and  felicitated  himself  with  a  hope,  that  when   tha 
children   he  was  now  engaged  in  instructing,  should 
take  their  stand  among  the  men  of  the  country,  they 
would   show   how    highly  they  prized  the  invaluable 
boon,  and  resolve  not  to  part  with  it,  but  with  their 
lives. 

If  the  reader  had  known  Mr.  Harris,  it  would  be 
unnecessary  to  state,  that  this  lecture  made  a  deep 
impression" on  all  who  heard  it:  though  destitute  of 
every  thing  "like  imagination  and  fancy;  though  his 
aspect  was  rough  and  his  manner  uncourtir,  his  voice 
H  2 


94         NOTES  ON  TOE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

harsh  and  his  style  labored,  his  information  was  ex 
tensive,  his  learning  great,  his  temper  mild  and 
philosophic  beyond  that  of  any  other  man  1  ever 
met  with,  while  a  spirit  of  universal  benevolence 
glowed  in  his  countenance  which  would  have  induced 
me  to  have  taken  him  for  my  friend  if  I  had  met  with 
him  far  the  first  time  among  the  ruins  of  Palmyra. 
As  an  instructor  of  youth,  in  my  estimation,  he  had 
no  superiors  and  but  few  equals. 

Mr.  Harris  has  paid  the  debt  of  nature.  About 
my  earliest  benefactor  I  could  have  said  more, — 
less  I  could  not  without  injustice.  Under  the  direc 
tion  of  this  amiable  gentleman  and  his  assistants, 
Mr.  Claiborne  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Latin  and  Greek  languages  and  some  of  the  most 
important  branches  of  the  mathematics.  Before  he 
entered  with  Mr.  Harris  he  had  been  sent,  along  with 
his  brother  the  lute  Gen.  Claiborne,  to  William  and 
Mary,  but  falling  out  with  one  of  the  ushers,  who  he 
thought  had  treated  him  generally  amiss,  he  left  that 
seminary  the  week  he  entered  it,  and  never  returned 
to  it  again.  "While  at  school  he  learned  with  great 
facility,  and  I  hazard  nothing  by  asserting  that  no 
boy  was  ever  held  in  more  universal  estimation  by  the 
masters  and  scholars  at  any  seminary  of  learning  than 
\vas  Mr.  Claiborne.  I  have  no  recollection  of  his 
ever  having  any  misunderstanding  with  any  of  his 
brother  students,  and  if  he  ever  came  under  the  cen 
sure  of  any  one  of  the  professors,  it  has  escaped  my 
recollection.  Having  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
he  was  apprised  that  for  his  future  establishment  in 
life,  he  had  to  depend  entirely  on  his  own  exertions; 
from  his  father  he  could  expect  no  assistance  :  he  de 
termined  therefore  on  his  course,  and  carried  it  into 
immediate  execution.  Extraordinary  as  it  may  seem 
I  vouch  for  its  truth.  I  was  several  years  younger 
than  my  brother  William,  but  I  have  a  distinct  re 
collection  of  what  I  am  about  to  relate  :  he  told  my 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    95 

father  with  great  frankness,  that  he  knew  very  well 
that  lie  could  do  nothing  more  for  his  children  than 
educate  them;  that  he  had  determined  on  his  course, 
and  with  his  permission  would  take  it  forthwith  "  I" 
said  he,  ."have  some  little  acquaintance  with  Mr. 
Beckley,  clerk  to  congress  ;  I  will  go  on  to  New 
York  and  endeavor  to  get  employment  in  his  office  ; 
if  I  succeed,  my  fortune  is  made  ;  if  I  fail  of  success 
with  him,  my  education  will  recommend  me  else  where; 
in  as  commercial  a  town  as  New  York  I  can  surely 
get  into  business  that  will  support  me,  and  once  in, 
I  consider  that  I  am  established  for  life;  ail  I  ask  is 
a  small  addition  to  my  stock  of  clothes  and  my  passage 
paid  to  New  York."  "  "Congress,"  my  brother  added, 
"  is  about  to  move  to  Philadelphia,  it  is  therefore 
desirable  that  I  go  on  forthwith,  that  if  I  fail,  I  may 
have  a  chance  of  otherwise  providing  for  myself,  but 
with  Mr.  Beckley  I  will  not  fail."  The  manly 
firmness  with  which  he  addressed  these  words  to  my 
father,  the  confidence  which  the  address  expressed 
in  his  abilities,  his  virtues,  and  the  character  which 
he  expected  to  establish  by  an  honorable  and  moral 
course,  excited  the  old  man's  admiration,  and  as  he 
gazed  with  rapture  on  his  enterprising  son,  the  tear 
of  sensibility  softened  his  weatherbeaten  cheek.  The 
temper  of  my  father  was  sanguine,  and  he  caught 
with  avidity  at  the  most  eventful  speculations.  The 
plan  of  my  brother  was  acceded  to,  and  every  effort 
made  to  carry  it  into  speedy  executiou.  Being  now 
fixed  in  his  future  course,  he  quitted  school,  having 
first  delivered  to  the  professors  and  students  a  valedic 
tory  address  which  he  had  prepared  for  the  occasion. 
How  well  qualified  he  was  to  step  forward  on  the 
theatre  of  life  at  tliis  eurly  age,  may  be  judged  of  by 
a  circumstance  attending  this  address  that  is  too  im 
portant  to  be  overlooked.  Having  prepared  it  he  sub 
mitted  it  to  the  inspection  of  a  learned  Virginia  judge, 
whose  corrections  he  solicited.  The  next  day  it  was 


96          NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

returned  with  one  or  two  immaterial  alterations,  and 
a  note  from  the  judge  which  told  his  young  friend  to 
continue  moral  and  industrious  and  he  MOM  id  become 
useful  and  celebrated  ;  his  path  with  the  blessing  of 
God  would  be  strewed  v/ith  roses  and  lighted  by  the 
sun  of  true  glory.  Before  we  proceed  further,  it 
may  not  be  improper  to  state,  that  Mr.  Claibornc  hud 
paid  for  twelve  months  preceding  the. time  of  which 
we  have  been  speaking,  great  attention  to  the  New 
Testament,  he  had  devoted  a  portion  of  every  Satur 
day  to  reading  it,  and  had  become  rationally  convinc 
ed  of  its  divine  -authority.  He  attended  church  re 
gularly  every  Sunday,  and  declared  it  made  him 
better,  and  he  avowed  without  the  fear  of  ridicule 
from  those  whose  morals  v;cre  more  loose,  that  his 
hopes  for  happiness  here  and  hereafter  were  bottomed 
on  the  mercy  of  Cod :  he  \vas  gay  :ind  pleasant  in 
Conversation  ;  he  would  not  swear,  for  he  considered 
it  rude  as  ".veil  as  immoral,  and  for  removed  from  the 
vindictive  spirit  of  a  monk ;  he  looked  with  respect 
on  all  who,  acknowledging  the  divinity  of  the  Chris 
tian  system,  professed  a  wish  to  square  their  con 
duct  by  its  precepts,1  or  regretted  their  aberations 
from  its  injunctions.'  Thus  fortified  by  a  religious 
education,  with  a  mind  already  richly  embellished 
with  stores  of  Grecian  and  Roman  literature,  with 
manners  urbane,  a  form  erect  and  manly,  and  a  face 
so  exquisitely  bc&utiful  that  it  might  have  been  mis 
taken  for  the  emblem  of  spring,  this  enterprising  lad, 
not  yet  sixteen,  with  fifty  dollars  and  the  necessary 
addition  to  his  clothing,  took  his  departure  from 
Richmond  in  a  sloop  bound  to  New  York.  The 
voyage  was  unusually  tedious,  but  what  made  it  pe 
culiarly  so  to  Mr.  Chiiberne.  was,  that  before  the 
vessel  cleared  the  capes  of  Virginia,  he  was  taken  ill 
with  the  measles.  The  captain,  who  acted  as  physi 
cian  to  the  crew,  treated  the  complaint  in  the  old 
fashioned  way,  keeping  his  patient  in  bed  and 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH,    97 

•administering  sudorifics  with  a  lavish  hand  ;  a  high 
foyer  supervening,  the  lite  of  the  patient  was  df$- 
pairedof.  These  seamen  are  kind  creatures:  if  their 
ranks  are  occasionally  dishonored  by  a  Cockburn, 
who  would  throw  even  PanclLuoniam  in  the  shade, 
under  every  flag  reposes  a  Howard  in  benevolence 
and  Christian  charity.  The  attention  of  this  excellent 
captain  was  assiduous  and  friendly :  by  degrees  the 
fever  abated  and  the  patient  recovered,  but  so  weak 
and  so  languid  was  the  state  in  which  it  left  Mr. 
Claiborne  that  the  vessel  remained  at  the  wharf  ia 
New  York  two  days  before  he  could  venture  out. 
His  strength  somev/hat  regained,  its  first  efforts  were 
exerted  to  visit  Mr.  Beckley.  I  have  passed  over  in 
-silence  the  affecting  farewell  he  took  of  his  father'! 
family,  nor  &h;ill  I  attempt  to  describe  his  interview 
with  Mr.  Beckley ;  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  it  eventuated 
kappily.  A  birth  was  vacant  in  Mr.  Beckley's  office, 
«r  was  soon  effected,  he  therefore  gave  Mr.  Claiborne 
immediate  employment.  The  business  which  de 
volved  on  my  brother  consisted  in  copying  bills  and 
resolutions  of  congress,  and  drawing  original  bills 
for  members  and  c:mimittees  of  congress.  These  du 
ties  gave  occupation  to  the  half  of  his  time,  and  no 
more  :  a  portion  of  each  day  was  devoted  to  reading 
political  works  of  merit,  attending  to  the  debates  in 
eongj-ess,  and  learning  the  French  language;  his  even 
ing,  a!  nost  invariably  to  the  society  of  the  ladies,  t* 
whose  conversation  and  company  through  life  he  was 
most  passionately  devoted.  The  wages  he  received 
were  sufficient  to  maintain  him,  and  left  a  small 
unexpended  residuum.  To  Mr.  Beckley  he  gave  en 
tire  satisfaction,  and  subsequently  repaid  him  for 
every  favor  conferred  on  him.  Congress  soon  re 
moved  to  Philadelphia,  and  thither  "Mr.  Claiborne 
went.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Philadelphia  he  be 
came  acquainted  with  vice-president  Adams  and  Mr 
Jefferson,  then  secretary  of  state.  Mr.  Adams  ton- 


98    NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

versed  with  him  several  times,  gave  him  once  or 
twice  excellent  advice,  and  Mr.  Jefferson  invited  him 
to  dine  with  him,  and  after  dinner  offered  him  the  use 
of  such  books  as  he  then  had  in  Philadelphia.  To 
both  these  gentlemen  he  has  since  shewn  his  gra 
titude,  liib  veneration  for  Mr.  Adams,  does  Mr. 
Ciaiborne,  I  humbly  conceive,  the  highest  credit. 
Although  he  disapproved  of  the  tenor  of  Mr.  Adams*s 
administration,  he  invariably  spoke  of  that  gentle 
man  with  respect,  and  when  the  venerable  patriarch 
had  retired  to  private  life,  he  visited  him  at  Brain- 
tre  .  Hitherto  Mr.  Claiborne  had  not  fixed  on  anj 
profession  on  which  to  depend  for  future  establish 
ment,  in  life;  he  had  thought  of  the  navy,  the  army  ; 
his  dreams  were  sometimes  golden,  and  had  even 
thought  that  he  might  rise  to  the  rank  of  secretary 
to  some  American  embassy.  The  law  had  not  yet 
entered  his  head.  Inconsiderable  circumstances 
sometimes  have  decisive  influence  on  the  destiny  of 
man,  and  so  it  happened  with  Mr.  Claiborne,  he  had 
for  some  time  been  a  member  of  a  polemic  society, 
at  which  was  discussed  such  questions  as  from  time 
to  time  agitated  the  public  mind.  At  last  a  question 
was  proposed  for  discussion  which  Mr.  C.  had  deeply 
reflected  on  ;  he  determined  therefore  to  enter  the 
lists  and  try  his  hand  at  a  public  speech.  He  had  now 
entered  his  eighteenth  year :  I  have  told  the  reader 
that  his  person  was  fine,  his  pronunciation  distinct, 
accurate  and  well  disciplined,  and  the  tones  of  voice 
admirably  adapted  to  public  disputation  :  to  these 
advantages  he  had  superadded,  without  being  himself 
conscious  of  it,  that  grace  of  gesture  which  always 
belongs  to  the  devotion  of  beauty  and  innocence. 
The  success  of  the  effort  he  made  on  this  occasion 
was  surprising,  it  illicited  from  a  crowded  audience 
reiterated  bursts  of  approbation,  nor  could  it  well  be 
otherwise,  for  an  enlightened  member  of  congress 
who  was  present,  declared  it  shivered  to  atoms  the 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.    99 

arguments  of  his  opponents  and  bore  off  the  uncon- 
tested  prize  of  superior  eloquence.  The  success  of 
this  effort  gave  an  additional  elevation  to  his  rising 
hopes  and  he  determined  to  enter  on  the  practice  of 
the  law.  I  ought  to  have  mentioned  before,  that  Mr. 
C.  had  become  most  intimately  acquainted  with  Gen. 
John  Sevier,  a  delegate  in  congress  from  the  territory 
south-west  the  river  Ohio,  now  state  of  Tennessee ; 
that  a  friendship  grew  up  between  them  which  con 
tinued  unimpaired  during  their  lives,  and  that  of  all 
the  benefactors  Mr.  Claiborne  met  with  in  his  journey 
through  life  there  was  none  like  Gen.  Sevier  in  the 
number  and  greatness  of  his  favors,  and  what  made 
them  the  more  estimable  was  that  they  were  totally 
disinterested.  How  deplorable  is  the  state  of  lite 
rature  in  our  country;  in  other  words,  how  little 
pains  are  taken  to  preserve  the  memory  of  the  lives 
of  useful  men.  In  no  book  is  any  further  informa 
tion  of  John  Sevier  to  be  met  with,  save  that  of  his 
commanding  one  of  the  four  regiments  that  defended 
Ferguson  during  the  revolutionary  war  at  .King's 
Mountain.  While  our  bookshops  are  inundated  with 
the  "Thinks  I  to  myself,"  of  that  miserable  punster 
George  Canning,  and  descriptions  without  number 
«f  the  dogs,  and  horses,  and  oxen  of  my  lord,  forge  t- 
ing  the  element  (a  barber's  shop)  to  which  they  should 
be  confined,  are  occupying  the  shelves  of  the  learned. 
When  this  is  the  case  I  shall  be  excused  in  a  short 
digression,  when  the  object  is  to  make  the  reader 
the  better  acquainted  with  a  noble  of  nature.  John 
Sevier  was  born  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  he  had  little 
or  no  education,  but  nature  had  given  him  a  mind  of 
such  astonishing  powers,  that  he  could  analyze  with 
ease  the  most  complex  subjects,  and  all  who  knew 
him,  put  confidence  in  his  judgment.  Most  men,  who 
(like  John  Sevier)  have  raised  themselves  to  eminence 
by  their  personal  exertions,  without  the  aid  of  a  liberal 
education,  look  with  a  prejudiced  eye  on  learned 


100        NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

accomplishments';  but  not  so  with  Sevier,  he  admired 
and  patronized  every  enterprising,  well  informed  and 
virtuous  youth  who  sought  his  acquaintance,  and  con 
tented  with  the  share  of  public  honors  his  country 
had  bestowed  on  him,  has  frequently  retired  from 
political  canvass  to  give  a  fairer  chance  of  suc 
cess  to  young  men  of  merit.  In  private  life  he  was 
to  the  last  degree  mild  and  forbearing ;  in  the  field 
of  battle  fertile  and  expedient,  and  rapid  in  execu 
tion,  lie  had  early  in  life  moved  to  the  frontiers  of 
North  Carolina,  and  in  the  wars  with  the  Indians 
kad  become  conspicuous  for  his  valor  and  military 
genius.  He  commanded  a  regiment  at  the  battle  of 
King's  Mountain,  and  I  have  lieard  it  frequently  as 
serted,  that  he  wa.3  among  the  very  first  who  gained 
the  summit  of  the  hill  on  that  eventful  day.  He  had 
filled  many  offices  of  honor  and  trust,  and  shortly 
after  his  acquaintance  with  Mr.  C.  commenced,  the 
veteran  was  raised  to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the 
new  state  of  Tennessee.  General  Sevier  had  fre 
quently  advised  Mr.  C.  to  settle  in  the  territory  south 
west  the  liver  Ohio:  he  stated  the  great  opening  that 
existed  there  for  a  lawyer,  and  augured  that  his 
success  would  be  great.  He  tendered  his  assistance 
and  friendship,  and  he  afterwards  fulfilled  his  pro 
mises.  These  flattering  assurances,  and  the  eclat 
which  atttended  the  delivery  of  the  speech  in  the 
polemic  society,  determined  my  brother  to  choose 
the  profession  of  the  law.  He  gave  Mr.  Beckley 
notice  that  he  intended  to  leave  him  as  soon  as  another 
clerk  could  be  got,  and  in  a  short  time  thereafter, 
took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  kind  and  truly  ^ood 
friend  and  repaired  to  Richmond,  where  he  remained 
three  months.  During  this  stay  in  Richmond  he  was 
devoted  almost  entirely  to  the  society  ef  the  ladies, 
and  I  have  heard  him  repeatedly  say  he  had  in  that 
time  been  enabled  only  to  read  through  the  revised 
code  and  a  chapter  er  two  in  the  first  volume  of 


NOTES  ON  TILE  WAR  IN  TII£  SOUTH,        101 

Blackstone's  Commentaries  With  this  dispreparation 
us  he  humourously  called  it,  he  was  an  applicant  for  a 
license,  and  strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  passed  with 
great  credit,  as  1  have  been  assured  by  a  gentleman 
who  was  examined  and  licensed  at  the  same  time. 
This  Mr.C.  ascribed  to  the  Polemic  society  in  Phila 
delphia,  which  he  considered  at  the  time  one  of  the 
best  law  schools  in  the  Union.  Here  he  had  acquired 
that  general  and  enlarged  view  of  natural,  national 
and  municipal  law,  without  labour  and  without  ex 
pense,  which  years  of  study  could  not  have  afforded. 
The  object  in  getting  a  license  in  Virginia  was  to 
enable  him  the  more  readily  to  obtain  admittance  to 
the  territorial  bar;  without  licence  in  another  state,  a 
probationary  residence  was  required.  And  now, 
bidding  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  his  youth  and  the 
charais  of  large  cities,  he  directed  his  steps  to  Sulli 
van  county  in  the  now  state  of  Tennessee,  and  en 
tered  on  the  practice  of  the  law.  Fate  had  decreed 
that  he  should  continue  at  the  bar  but  a  short  time, 
in  all  not  more  than  two  years.  His  success  in  this 
short  period  was  equal  to  that  of  any  lawyer  who 
ever  went  before  him.  No  cause  of  moment  and 
expectation  occurred  ia  a  court  where  he  practised, 
while  at  the  bar,  in  which  he  was  not  employed.  He 
was  frequently  sent  for  to  the  neighboring  court  in 
Virginia,  and  at  oae  time  received  live  hundred  dol 
lars  and  had  his  expenses  paid  for  coming  to  Virginia 
to  defend  a  man  charged  with  murder ;  at  another 
tune  he  went  two  hundred  miles  to  argue  a  case  of 
great  magnitude,  in  the  decision pf, which  was  involved 
property  to  an  immense  amount,  on  a  promise  of  a 
fee  so  great  that  Mr.  C.  refused,  although  the  cause 
was  gained,  to  receive  it,  a-td  took  only  an  elegant 
horse  estimated  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  ia 
lieu  thereof.  Instead  of  devoting  as  heretofore, 
much  of  Iris  time  to  gay  amusseuier.ts,  he  was  now  oc 
cupied  with  his  bookrj,  "and  had  already  raised  himself 
i 


102       NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

to  an  equality  with  the  first  of  the  profession  as  a 
lawyer :  as  an  advocate  in  a  criminal  case,  I  hazard 
nothing  by  saying  that  he  stood  unrivalled.  Juries 
have  frequently  been  dissolved  in  tears  while  listen 
ing  to  his  pathetic  descriptions  of  human  woe ;  and 
enlightened  tribunals  of  justice  have  wept  under  the 
influence  of  his  touching  eloquence,  lie  now  deter 
mined  to  move  back  to  Richmond,  and  enter  on  the 
practice  of  the  law  there.  My  brother  had  a  quick 
ness  of  comprehension,  a  goodness  of  heart,  and  a, 
laudable  ambition  to  be  distinguished  to  a  degree  we 
rarely  meet  with.  But  unfortunately  he  was  consti 
tutionally  lazy;  and  when  we  see  him  inarching  with 
giant  strides  to  eminence  in  his  profession,  we  are 
constrained  to  acknowledge,  that  he  was  pushed  on 
by  the  joint  influence  of  virtuous  ambition  and  hard 
necessity.  Mr.  Claiborne  was  attached  to  Virginia, 
and  had  left  it  with  regret.  The  very  trees  tkat 
had  shaded  him  from  a  summer's  heat,  were  with 
him  objects  of  veneration:  there  were  the  beautiful 
seats  of  his  early  ancestors:  they  have  long  since 
passed  into  other  hands,  but  the  everlasting  marble 
records  the  names  of  the  first  proprietors.  There  he 
had  received  his  earliest  instruction,  and  enjoyed 
the  society  of  friends  who  loved  him.  This  determi 
nation  of  my  brother  was  heard  by  the  family  with 
enthusiastic  pleasure,  and  as  the  pressure  on  him  for 
exertion  would  be  greater,  those  who  knew  the 
astonishing  powers  of  his  mind  were  convinced  that 
he  must  succeed.  He  had  before  he  left  Richmond,, 
delivered  an  oration  in  the  hail  of  the  house  of  dele 
gates,  to  a  crowded  assembly  of  citizens  and  public 
characters,  which  was  considered  among  the  luckiest 
efforts  of  genius,  for  it  was  calculated  to  extort  ap 
probation  and  to  command  respect. 

An  occurrence  now  took  place  which  caused  the  re 
solution  to  remove  to  Richmond  to  be  abandoned.  The 
population  of  the  territory  having  been  ascertained  to 


ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.        103 

amount  to  seventy-five  thousand,  they  demanded  ad 
mission  as  un  independent  state  into  the  Union,  and 
a  convention  was  called  to  form  a  state  constitution. 
Mr.  Ciaiborne  was  proposed  and  elected  one  of  the 
live  members  for  Sullivan  county. 

In  the  convention  which  sooa  after  assembled,  he 
appeared  to  great  advantage.  Few  more  enlightened 
bodies  could  be  met  with  than  was  this  convention. 
The  constitution  that  issued  from  their  hands  breathes 
and  secures  liberty ;  and  in  the  formation  «t'  this 
constitution,  William  C.  C.  Ciaiborne  had  a  principal 
agency.  The  education  he  had  received,  the  books 
he  had  read,  the  political  circles  in  which  he  had 
passed  so  much  of  his  time,  all  conspired  to  give 
him  an  imposing  stand.  He  now  stood  for  the  first 
time  before  a  whole  state ;  the  goodness  of  his  heart, 
the  magnitude  of  the  task,  conspired  to  bring  into 
action  all  the  powers  of  mind.  His  merit  was  uni 
versally  acknowledged.  Governor  Biount  declared, 
that  making  the  necessary  allowance  for  his  youth,  he 
was  the  most  extraordinary  man  he  had  ever  met 
with,  and  that  if  he  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  fifty, 
nothing  but  local  prejudices  could  prevent  his  bej 
coming  one  of  the  most  distinguished  political  charac 
ters  in  America.  In  the  convention  of  Tennessee 
he  began  his  political  career,  and  without  intermission 
he  was  thereafter  in  public  life.  General  Sevier  was 
elected  governor  of  the  new  state  of  Tennessee,  and 
among  his  first  acts  was  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Ciaiborne  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  law  and 
equity  of  the  state.  Mr.  Ciaiborne  was  urged  bv  his 
friends  not  to  accept ;  but  in  vain.  "  My  motto,*' 
said  he,  "  is  honor  and  not  money  ;  governor  Sevier 
is  my  friend,  and  if  I  can,  1  am  bound  to  aid  his 
administration."  At  the  time  of  his  appointment  to 
a  jud^eship,  and  that  too  in  the  highest  tribunal  in 
the  state,  he  was  not  twenty -two  years  old.  His  ap 
pointment  met  with  general  approbation;  he  con- 


$4       NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH,, 

tinued  but  a  short  time  in  this  office,  when  a  vacancy 
occurringin  the  house  oi  representatives  of  the  United 
States,  by  the  appointment  of  Gen.  Jackson  to  the 
senate,  at  the  solicitation  of.  several  gentlemen  who 
had  served  with  him  in  the  convention,  he  resigned 
his  seat  on  the  bench  and  became  a  candidate  for 
congress,  and  was  elected  by  an  immense  majority 
over  his  opponent,  who  was  a  man  of  fine  talents,  of 
•great  wealth  and  extensive  connexions.     A  few  days 
after  his  election  to  congress,  Mr.  Claiborne  entered 
his  twenty-third  year.     This  astonishing  and  rapid 
promotion  becomes  still  more  Surprising  when  we  are 
told  that  Mr.  Claiborne  had  but  recently  come  into 
the  district,  that  he   was  poor  and  had  not  the  ad 
vantage  of  any  kindred  blood  even  in  the  inost  remote 
degree  in  the  state  of  Tennessee.    While  his  oppo 
nent,  on  the  contrary,  along  with  the  advantages  be 
fore  enumerated,  had  for  ten  years  been  a  leading 
character  in  that  country.     During  the  first  congress 
that  Mr.  Claiborne  satin,  he  participated  but  little  in 
debate,  but  enough  to  show  that  he  was  an  acquisition 
to  the  republican   party,  and  in   that  light  wa&  uni 
versally  considered.     On  the  bill  providing,  for  the 
military  establishment,  however,  the  talents   of  the 
house  was   brought  out  and  the   strength  of  parties 
put  to  trial.     On  this  occasion  Mr.Ctaiborne  delivered 
his  sentiments;  his    speech   (the  skeleton  of  which 
lias   been    preserved)    was  atioiiied  with    the    most 
.  choice,  fiowers  of  ancient  as  weil  as  modern  literature; 
it  shewed  a  heart  deeply  convinced  and  earnestly  en 
gaged  in  convincing  otheis,  and  if  it  discovered   on 
the  face  of  it  less  labour  than  other  speeches  bespoke, 
it  was  exempt  from  the  venom  \\hich  conflicting  poli 
tical  prejudices  bad  on  this  occasion  developed,  ard 
the   spirit  of  benevolence   which  it  breathed,  alor.g 
with  the  classic  purity  of  the  style,  recommended  it 
to  general  attention.     A  listener  thus  described  it : 
It  seemed  to  be  a  spontaneous  effort.     The  object  was 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.        105 

to  convince  and  persuade,  not  to  surprise  ;  it  had 
passion  and  feeling  in  every  sentence,  but  it  was  the 
passion  of"  the  heart ;  satisfied  he  was  right,  he  was 
bent  on  the  conviction  of  others.  So  earnest  was 
Mr.  C.  that  he  forced  himself  on  the  affection  of  the 
most  indifferent,  and  excited  the  enthusiastic  admi 
ration  of  his  friends  :  though  he  was  zealous,  it  was 
without  bustle;  he  was  ardent  but  not  acrimonious, 
and  if  he  fell  short  of  some  of  the  veterans  who  pre 
ceded  him,  von  were  loth  to  make  the  admission,  while 
you  reflected  that  he  was  the  youngest  man  who  had 
ever  appeared  on  the  floor  of  congress,  and  that  his 
election  was  the  result  of  his  personal  merit.  Mr. 
Ciaiborne  was  re-elected  to  congress.  The  constitu 
tion  had  not  required  that  the  electors  should  desig 
nate  in  their  tickets  the  person  they  voted  for  as 
president  and  the  person  voted  for  as  vice-president, 
but  simply  that  they  should  give  their  votes  for  two 
persons  ;  that  the  one  having  the  highest  number  of 
votes  should  be  president,  and  the  one  having  the 
next  highest  number  should  be  vice-president.  Now 
it  had  so  happened  that  Mr.  Jefferson  and  Mr.  Burr 
had  an  equal  number  ot  votes,  and  it  devolved  on 
the  house  of  representatives  to  say  who  should  be 
president,  the  choice  to  be  made  by  ballot,  and  each 
state  in  the  union  to  have  but  one  vote.  The  govern 
ment  of  the  United  States  had  for  some  time  been 
in  federal  hands:  taxes  unnecessarily  imposed,  a 
lavish  expenditure  ef  public  money,  the  creation  of 
a  multitude  of  officers  on  whom  was  bestowed  hi»h 
salaries,  all  served  to  shew  a  fixed  determination  in 
the  dominant  party  to  give  a  pomp  and  pagentry  to 
the  administration,  incompatible  with  the  spirit  of 
our  political  institutions,  and  to  assimulate  our  go 
vernment  to  the  corrupt  governments  of  Europe. 
The  doctrine  had  been  openly  advanced  that  the 
worst  enemy  of  the  people  was  the  people  themselves: 
that  to  render  the  country  tranquil  and  the  inhabic- 

~ 


106        NOTES  ON  THE  WAT*  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

auts  happy,  the  government  must  be  strong,  and  ad 
ministered  in  such  a  way  that  it  did  not  draw  to  it 
the  love  of  the  citizen  :  it  must  find  a  support  in  the 
awe  and  fear  that  it  created.     This  abominable  doc 
trine    had   many  admirers,  and  from  the  nature  of 
things,  it  will  always  have  some.  I  say  abominable,  it 
has  drenched  some  countiies  in  blood,  and  where  it 
has  predominated,   it  has  invited  the  chains  of  op 
pression  and  tyranny.     The  open   declarations  that 
the  people  was  incompetent  to  self-government  alarm 
ed  the  republican  party,  and  luckily  excited  the  fears 
of  many  who  had  hitherto  been  ranged  under  federal 
leaders.     The   contest  for  the  presidency  was  un 
usually  animated ;  it   eventuated  in  the  election  on 
the  part  of  the  people  of  the  two   gentlemen  before 
named.     It  was  clear  that  Jefferson  'was  voted  for  as 
president,  and  Burr  vice-president.     They  had  been 
so  nominated  before  the  election  commenced,  and  in 
every  vote  given  for  the  two,    Jefferson  was  first 
named ;  when  therefore  it  was  understood  that  they 
came  presented  to  the  house  of  representatives  with 
an  equal  number   of  votes,    it  was  supposed   as   a 
matter   of  course,    that  the  public   voice  would  be 
obeyed,  that  Jefferson  would  be  made  president ;  but 
not  so,  Burr  was  younger  than  Jefferson,  he  was  to 
the  last  degree  ambitious ;  at  intrigue   unrivalled  : 
though  small  in  body,  he  was  a  giant  in  understanding; 
of  a  military  turn  he  possed  a  courage  no  dangers 
could  daunt,  no  difficulties  could  deter  ;  he  saw  his 
object,  and  calculating  on  the  means  by  which  it  was 
to  be  reached,  he  marched  strait   forward  with   the 
firm  step  of  a  soldier.     He  has  been  accused  of  com 
bining  with  the  federal  party  to  secure  his  election  to 
the  presidency,  but  the  fact  has  never  been  estab 
lished.     A  Mr.  Ogden  was  deputed  by  the  federalists 
to  sound  him,  but  it  is  certain  he  declined  with  him 
every  thing  in  the  shape  of  arrangement.     He  had, 
it  is  true,  dined  with  a  federal  pnrty  just  before  the 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.   1*7 

contest  came  on  in  the  house  of  representatives,  and 
given  as  a  toast,  "The  union  of  all  honest  men." 
This  was  subject  to  various  interpretations,  and  might 
IK>  construed  fairly  as  a  satire  on  the  company.  The 
strongest  and  most  forcible  evidence  that  he  had  a 
loii"-ing  eve  to  the  presidency,  is  that  he  quarrelled 
with  Gen.  Hamilton,  who  was  bitterly  opposed  to 
his  promotion.  What  governed  the  federal  party  I 
cannot  say :  they  however  came  to  a  determination 
to  support  him.  They  kn  w  very  well  the  political 
sentiments  of  every  member  of  the  house  of  repre 
sentatives,  and  as  each  state  had  but  one  vote,  they 
early  ascertained  that  the  election  depended  on  the 
vote"  of  Mr.  Claiborne,  the  sole  representative  from 
the  state  of  Tennessee.  Mr.  Claiborne  was  young 
and  aspiring.  The  federal  party  knew  too  that  lie 
v/as  poor.  They  flattered  themselves  that  his  vote 
might  be  secured.  It  was  insinuated  that  nature  de 
signed  him  for  the  army;  to  what  command  had  he 
not  a  right  to  aspire?  It  has  been  stated  that  direct 
overtures  were  made  ;  but  it  is  not  true:  if  they  had, 
they  would  have  been  repelled  properly.  Mr.  Clai 
borne,  thank  God,  was  too  firm  to  be  brought  over : 
he  knew  the  public  voice,  and  thought  it  honorable 
and  proper  to  obey  it.  The  day  was  approaching 
when  this  great  question  of  who  was  to  be  president 
•was  to  be  decided.  It  is  believed  that  no  subject  ever 
more  deeply  agitated  the  public  mind.  The  cloud 
was  risen  above  the  horizon,  and  from  the  elements 
that  composed  it,  it  seemed  fraught  with  civil  war. 
The  day  at  last  arrived,  and  the  states  were  equally 
divided  on  the  first  ballot;  several  other  ballots  took 
place,  and  the  result  was  the  same,  when  the  house 
adjourned  :  each  party  took  the  necessary  precautions 
to  prevent  the  other  from  entering  into  the  house  and 
juggling  in  the  man  who  was  not  their  choice.  The 
commotion  which  was  now  brewing;  among  the  people 
1was  to  the  last  degree  alarming,  ihe  news  that  the 


108       NOTES  ON  THE  WAli  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

states  were  equally  divided,  spread  through  the  union 
like  wild  fire,  and  "every  where  produced  the  liveliest 
sensation.  The  importance  of  Mr.  Claibornc's  vote 
was  so  well  understood,  that  he  went  armed  to  the 
house,  and  other  members  carried  arms  also;  for  what 
might  occur  from  the  extraordinary  agitation  that  pre 
vailed,  no  one  could  foresee:  rumours  were  even  afloat 
that  the  parties  in  the  country  were  beginning  to  arm. 
General  Hamilton,  who  on  this  occasion  left  the  federal 
party  and  espoused  (he  election  of  Mr.  Jefferson, 
declared  that  Tennessee  would  abandon  Mr.  Jeffersoiv 
and  vote  for  Colonel  Burr.  This  opinion  General 
Hamilton  afterwards  found  to  be  erroneous,  and  he 
honorably  confessed  that  it  was  a  mere  speculative 
opinion  and  no  more. 

For  several  days  congress  and  the  country  round 
about  them  was  a  scene  of  terrible  confusion:  thirty- 
six  ballots  had  been  had  and  the  result  was  the  same, 
an  equality  of  rotes  both  for  Mr.  Jefferson  and  Col. 
Burr.  On  every  ballot  Mr.  Claiborne  had  voted  for 
Jefferson,  and  declared  that  as  he  felt  satisfied,  that 
that  gentleman  was  the  choice  of  the  people,  he  was 
bound  to  adhere  to  him,  let  the  consequences  be  what 
they  would.  The  thirty-seventh  ballot,  the  state  of 
Vermont,  that  hitherto  voted  for  Col.  Burr,  threw  in  a 
blank  ballot  and  Jefferson  was  elected.  I  shall  not 
stop  to  eulogise  the  conduct  of  Mr.  C.  he  did  his  duty; 
he  deserved  esteem  for  his  firmness,  and  he  got  it. 
Mr.  Claiborne  remained  but  a  short  time  after  this 
in  congress.  A  serious  misunderstanding  having 
arisen  between  the  people  of  the  Mississippi  territory 
and  their  then  governor,  I  state  on  the  best  authority 
that  many  distinguished  individuals  then  signified  a 
wish  for  the  appointment  of  Mr.  C.  as  their  governor, 
and  in  conformity  therewith  he  received  and  accepted 

that  office.     This  was  sometime  in  the  year  , 

I   have  hitherto  been  careless  of  dates,  not  having 
the  necessary  public  documents ;  I  am  constrained 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH.       109 

in  sonic  particulars  to  rely  altogether  on  memory. 
No  man,  it  is  believed,  past  his  time  more  happily 
than  Mr.  C.  did  while  governor  of  the  Mississippi 
territory.  He  had  lately  married  Miss  Eliza  W. 
Lewis,  of  Nashville :  she  was  tall  and  graceful,  and 
possessed  a  perfect  symmetry  of  features:  her  indul 
gent  parents  had  early  procured  for  her  the  best  in 
structors,  and  her  mind  was  stored  with  those  literary 
accomplishments  which  give  lustre  to  the  female  cha 
racter. 

Blessed  with  the  affections  of  an  amiable  wife,  iu 
possession  of  the  confidence  of  the  people,  without 
(as  he  declared  in  his  confidential  letters  to  his  rela 
tions)  an  enemy  on  earth,  and  possessed  of  a  clear  for 
tune  to  the  value  of  twenty  hundred  pounds,  with  a 
salary  that  supported  him  most  comfortably;  penetrat 
ed  with  a  belief  that  it  was  his  duty  to  obey  the  pub 
lic  voice  and  contribute  all  in  his  power  to  advance 
the  interest  and  honor  of  his  country,  he  suffered 
•fcimself  to  be  -withdrawn  from  a  society  he  loved, 
an  office  in  which  lie  gave  general  satisfaction,  ta 
fill  a  station  the  most  important  in  the  gift  of  the  ge 
neral  government,  and  to  discharge  which  required 
an  energy,  prudence  and  a  depth  of  understanding, 
beyond,  far  beyond,  the  lot  of  ordinary  politicians. 
I  have  already  told  the  reader,  that  though  fond  of 
ease,  Mr.  Claibome  possessed  the  faculty  of  labour 
and  exertion  to  a  most  astonishing  degree,  when  a 
necessity  for  exertion  occurred.  The  oflice  of  gover 
nor  of  Louisiana,  newly  acquired  by  purchase  from 
the  French,  without  solicitation  on  his  part,  being 
offered  him,  he  accepted  the  same,  and  repairir 
New  Orleans,  he  received  from  Monsier  Lausat  the 
necessary  transfer,  and  proceeded  to  the  administra 
tion  of  the  government.  A  minute  detail  of  events, 
in  which  he' now  had  an  a^ncy,  is  nnnd-ccs-iary; 
they  may  be  met  with  in  a  thousand  vt-i-:me.s  and 
most  men  of  information  are  familiarly  aaruaint-.-d. 


110       NOTES  ©N  THE  WAR  I^T  THE  SOUTH. 

with  them.  The  difficulty  of  introducing  a  repub 
lican  government  in  a  country  for  near  two  centuries 
accustomed  only  to  the  trappings  of  royalty;  of 
introducing  the  common  law  and  the  trial  by  jury, 
in  lieu  of  the  civil  law;  of  breaking  the  seal,  which 
corruption  had  put  on  the  administration  of  justice, 
which  kept  causes  undecided  for  thirty  and  forty 
years,  can  easily  be  anticipated  ;  yet  the  whole  was 
effected  in  spite  of  the  renegadoes  from  the  Atlantic 
states,  who  repairing  in  shoals  to  New  Orleans,  more 
greedy  than  the  locusts  of  Kgynt,  expecting  and  so 
liciting  all  the  cilices  in  the  gift  of  the  new  govern 
ment,  and  when  disappointed,  setting  up  and  sup 
porting  venal  and  corrupt  presses  to  vilify  and  abuse 
him,  and  to  exhibit  in  an  odious  point  of  view  every 
act  of  his  public  life  that  envy  and  malice  could 
seize  on  as  the  subject  of  accusation.  Mr.  Clai borne 
was  resolved,  and  uniformly  acted  up  to  the  resolu 
tion,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  ofiices  should  be 
filled  by  the  natives  ot  the  country.  To  treat  the 
people  as  a  conquered  province  was  in  his  view 
odious.  By  attaching  the  natives  to  him,  the  preju 
dices  in  favor  of  the  ancient  regimen  were  subverted, 
and  the  most  necessary  innovations  were  effected, 
and  after  a  series  of  years,  when  the  state  of  Louisi 
ana  formed  a  constitution,  it  was  found  to  be  through 
out  republican,  recognising  and  establishing  all  the 
innovations  the  governor  had  introduced.  If  any 
additional  evidence  of  the  wisdom  of  Mr.  C's  ad 
ministration  wras  required,  it  is  found  in  the  gratitude 
of  the  people  of  Louisiana.  Notwithstanding  all  the 
efforts  of  the  renegado  malcontents,  the  people  at 
large,  by  an  immense  plurality  of  votes,  elected  him 
their  first  governor  after  the  adoption  of  the  consti 
tution.  I  shall  pass  over  without  comment,  his  ofli- 
cial  conduct,  after  his  election  by  the  people ;  it  is 
before  the  world  in  various  publications,  and  lias  met 
with  the  approbation  of  every  patriot.  While  history 


NOTES  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH,       111 

exists,  the  energy  of  Governor  Claiborne,  and  the 
bravery  and  patriotism  of  the  people  of  Louisiana, 
will  never  be  forgot;  gliding  down  the  current  of 
time  to  the  most  remote  ages,  receiving  the  appro 
bation  as  they  pass  of  renewing  generations,  the  go 
vernor  and  the  brave  Louisianians  will  never  cease 
to  be  hailed  as  the  benefactors  of  mankind. 

With  the  commencement  of  the  year  1817,  his 
time  as  governor  of  Lowisiana  expired,  and  immedi 
ately  thereupon  he  was  elected  to  the  senate  of  the 
United  Statt-s  ;  but  fate  had  decreed  that  he  should 
not  be  longer  tossed  on  the  tempestuous  sea  of  public 
life.  On  the  twenty-third  of  November,  1817,  he 
breathed  his  last.  All  ranks  attended  his  corpse  to  the 
grave  :  the  municipal  authorities  on  the  day  of  his 
interment  decreed  a  public  mourning,  and  appropriat 
ed  a  large  sum  of  money  to  erect  a  marble  monument 
to  his  memory.  Before  closing  this  sketch  of  Mr. 
Claiborne's  life,  it  may  be  necessary  to  state,  his  first 
wife,  mentioned  before,  and  his  daughter,  the  only 
ehildby  her,  died  at  New  Orleans  of  the  yellow  fever; 
that  sometime  after,  he  married  Mademoiselle  Cla 
rissa  Duralde,  a  French  lady  of  great  beauty,  who 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  by  the  same  fatal  fever 
that  deprived  him  of  his  first ;  and  subsequently  he 
married  Miss  Bosque,  a  Spanish  lady  of  fortune,  by 
whom  he  is  survived.  By  his  second  wife  he  has  a 
son  still  living,  and  by  his  widow  two  children,  both 
sons.  It  is  some  consolation  to  know  that  his  widow 
and  children  have  the  prospect  of  comfortable  provi 
sion.  I  cannot  conclude  this  biography  of  William 
(>.  C.  Claiborne,  late  governor  of  Louisiana,  without 
recommending  it  to  the  perusal  of  his  sons,  and  ex 
pressing  a  hope,  that  they  will,  as  far  as  is  in  their 
power,  make  the  life  of  their  father  an  exampe,  by 
which  to  regulate  their  own  conduct.  He  was  moral 
from  his  cradle  to  his  grave;  if  lie  ever  swore  an 
oath  in  my  presence,  I  have  forgot  it ;  and.  to  ihis  J 


112       NOTliS  ON  THE  WAR  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

especially  call  your  attention.  It  is  not  my  dear 
nephews  in  the  power  of  all  men  to  be  learned,  elo 
quent  and  great;  but  all  with  the  blessing  of  God 
may  be  good.  You  are  young,  my  dear  nephews ; 
your  father  died  just  after  passing  what  is  usually 
called  a  middle  age,  and  when  you  stood  in  need  of 
his  advice  and  assistance.  Perhaps  it  is  for  the  best ; 
his  example  may  be  more  striking  when  endeared  by 
the  reflection  of  the  bereavei&ent  you  have  sustained. 
To  my  sister  and  my  nephews,  I  oiler  the  affectionate 
regard  of  a  brother  and  an  uncle. 


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